Through the Looking Glass
by Decembers-Coldest-Rain
Summary: An accident leaves Sora alone and lost in a new Galaxy. Various worlds await him on an epic journey to stop the darkness, find his way home, and eventually learn the hardships of love and obligation. Anime/Game crossovers abound; yaoi Riku/Sora
1. Opening

**A/N:** I decided to write this story because I noticed a definite lack of Riku/Sora epics out there... and that made my fangirl heart sad. And also, I mean, who hasn't imagined Sora prancing around various anime/game worlds saving the day?

Well.. I have, at least. ;D

I guess I should warn that eventually this story will contain SLASH, and there will be lots of great awkward boy!love. Takes place in early KH2, a few worlds after Sora woke up.

**Disclaimer:** I will say this once. I don't own Kingdom Hearts, World of Warcraft, Inuyasha, Naruto, Bleach, Death Note, or Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai. (yes those are the shows/games that will be involved in this story. In that order~)

_Up Ahead- A black hole, a crashed ship, and a whole new galaxy. _

**Through the Looking Glass**

Chapter One

_Prelude_

---

The morning started as any other; Sora dozing peacefully in the cockpit of the Gummi Ship, listening distantly to the high-pitched voices of Chip and Dale as they argued about which path would be the quickest route to their next destination_ ("No way. We could walk to Twilight Town faster!"_).The brunet was unsuccessfully attempting to tune them out, his head lulling into his shoulder as he squeezed his eyes shut and desperately tried to lose himself in slumber.

It was not to be so.

"What's that?!" called Chip, whose voice rose an octave in excitement. Sora squinted haphazardly at the spastic chipmunk, a flurry of movement as he jumped from his seat over to his brother's chair and squeaked, "Dale, Dale! Lookie over there!"

Sora groaned, covering his eyes and clinging desperately to sleep. _So.. close..._

"I dunno, Chip! What'da'ya think it is?" asked Dale, beady eyes peering out over the bow of the Gummi Ship. Sora gave up on his dreams of having dreams and lumbered out of his chair, lanky arms dragging at his sides as he stumbled over to where the chipmunks were.

"What are you guys on about?" He drawled, squinting out into the dark expanse of space in front of the ship. "I don't see anything."

Chip looked up at Sora gingerly, "Over there," he said, pointing a small paw to the left. The chipmunk gestured excitedly, and when Sora made no sign of recognition he scampered off of his brother's chair and onto the keyblade bearer's shoulder. "That area, over there!" Chip squeaked, gently pushing Sora's chin more to the left. "The black area."

Sora sighed, "It's all black, Chip..."

"The _really _black area. Blacker than the rest! See, see!" Chip's voice was starting to make Sora's head hurt. The brunet sighed; straining his eyes into what he hoped was the area Chip was pointing to.

And then he saw it.

Sora focused in on a slight, swirling discoloration in the black expanse before him. It looked like a swirling hole; like something that sucked all light from the area around it in and even made the pitch-black of _outer space _seem bright in comparison. "I... see it. What is that?!" Sora questioned, leaning forward in his curiosity.

"What's all the commotion?" came the rough voice of Donald the Duck, lumbering tiredly into the cockpit of the ship. "Some of us are trying to sleep..." he mumbled, watching blankly as Chip jumped from Sora's shoulder to the back of Dale's chair.

"Dale, stop staring at the… thing. We're veering off course." Chip said, quickly leveraging himself into Dale's chair and checking the controls for his brother. After tinkering around a bit, the chipmunk's panicked voice started up again, "What's wrong with the controls? Dale, what did you do! Nothing is working-"

Dale didn't seem to be paying attention; instead staring off into the distance along with Sora. Eventually, the brunet spoke. "Is it just me, or are we getting suspiciously close to the black hole of doom?"

"I wish it was just you," said Dale, finally jerking to action and helping his brother tinker with the controls. Donald approached from behind, curiously trying to see what imminent doom they were heading for now.

"Guys..." murmured Sora with rising urgency in his voice, "Please tell me we aren't going in there, because most of the things I learned about black holes back in school didn't sound particularly fun."

Chip squeaked out a quick, "We're trying!" before disappearing under the control panel. Dale was busying himself with some wires while muttering incoherently about vacuums, freezing, and chocolate chip cookies when his brother decided to scuttle over to an impressively large red button and hit it with all the force his little paws could muster.

**Turbo Boosters activated. Initial power redirected from main engines...** said a soothing, feminine voice.

"Shouldn't we try to save the boosters?" asked Dale, who was hopelessly tangled up in some red and blue wires. "Never... know when we'll... need them." The chipmunk twisted around fruitlessly, attempting to free himself.

**Five...**

"If you could see how close we are to that hole, you'd know we need them _now_." hissed Chip, watching with wide eyes as the Gummi Ship began to be pulled into the black hole with more force.

**Four...**

Sora gulped, gripping the back of Dale's chair.

**Three...**

The Gummi Ship began to sway, turning so that the bow was facing directly into the black hole.

**Two...**

"Oh, shi-"

**One.**

The ship rocketed forward, heading directly into the black hole. Sora screamed, the entire cabin shaking so violently that he was thrown off balance. He fell forward, head connecting with the aluminum arm-rest of Dale's chair with a loud _thunk_. The boy's eyes swam as he gingerly dabbed at his forehead and felt a warm wetness gushing over his fingers. "God," he muttered, gripping the back of Dale's chair desperately as he stumbled to his feet.

The cabin was still shaking tremulously; Sora could distantly hear Chip and Dale barking out orders to him, but he couldn't make sense of their words. The brunet stumbled again, falling backwards onto his butt just as Goofy entered the main cabin.

"Gwarsh, what's happening?!" came his companions voice, but Sora couldn't seem to keep his eyes open long enough to try and locate the guard.

Sirens blaring, red lights flashing; Sora was lost in the commotion. The brunet felt warm liquid gushing into his eyes, and was incredibly distressed by it. He tried to stem the flow, but his hands slipped helplessly in the mess before falling uselessly to his sides. "Guys.." he croaked, finally forcing his eyes open. Chip was glued to the window, watching in amazement as they sped through the intense nothingness, but weren't obliterated. Dale was still caught in the wires, while Donald and Goofy were both having tremendous trouble staying upright with all the ship's shaking.

"Guys..." Sora tried again, and finally caught Goofy's attention. The palace-guard stumbled to Sora's side and put a hand over his forehead, sending spasms of pain through the boy's system.

"We have to get it to stop bleeding," said Goofy as he gingerly applied more pressure.

Sora's head lulled to the side, but he jerked back into consciousness when the guard pinched him. "Stay awake, Sora." Goofy said authoritatively, pressing his gloved hand even more forcefully into the wound. Sora hissed, trying his best to glare at his friend, but only managing to look like he was about to roll over and die.

"Oh!" came the surprised shout of Chip, who was twittering around uselessly at the front of the ship. "I think we're going to make it out of the hole!" The chipmunk jumped down to where his brother was and helped him out of the wires. "Get to your station, Dale! We might actually survive!"

That was enough to get Sora's attention. The boy settled his unfocused gaze behind Goofy's head, watching in mild interest as suddenly instead of an expanse of nothingness flying at them, there seemed to be an incredibly white, blurry light headed their way. "Wazzat?" Sora gasped, squinting to trying to rid his eyes of their sudden blurriness. Chip turned towards the Keyblade-bearer and looked distressed.

"Oh. That, my friend... would be the planet we are about to crash into."

Dale popped up next to his brother and yelled at the top of his little chipmunk lungs, "ABANDON SHIP!" before the both of them scuttled off of the control panel and through the sliding doors that led to the main cabin. Donald was quick to follow, and Goofy was the only one left to help Sora.

The guard hoisted his friend's arm over his shoulder, hooking a finger through Sora's belt-loop before forcing the boy to his feet. "Let's go!" He shouted over the sirens, though Sora was barely lucid and couldn't really understand him. The cabin doors opened with a quick _wisp _as Sora and Goofy stumbled through them, attempting to reach the others who were already loading into safety pod.

"If we eject now we'll be thrown back through the black hole!" Chip said excitedly, ushering Donald into the small vessel.

"It couldn't have worked out better!" agreed Dale, who motioned to Goofy with his tiny paws. "Hurry, hurry!" he said, the ship groaning and shaking as if it would fall apart at any moment.

And then, in possibly the most unlucky sequence of events ever, the ship began to tremble much more violently than before, sending Sora sprawling backwards listlessly and throwing Goofy forwards into the safety pod. At the same time, Donald stumbled to his left and hit a small blue button with his shoulder, immediately closing the pod.

**Ejection command received,** the silky smooth voice purred.

"No! Quick, Chip, abort ejection!" cried Dale as a glass slid securely into place between them and Sora, who wasn't looking all too conscious at the moment.

"Right!" Yelled Chip, staggering over to a red switch and reaching for it. His tiny paw met the plastic surface, and-

_Woosh._

They were helplessly ejected back into the black hole, leaving poor, defenseless Sora to plummet with the ship.

**Note: **This chapter is short. I'm hoping the taste of what is to come will have you coming back for the next chapter, which doesn't waste much time diving into Sora's new World-Hopping adventure.

Reviews are appreciated. Seriously.


	2. World of Warcraft

**A/N:** Waha, the second chapter. Welcome, one and all, to the World of Warcraft! Ohhh, yeah. (gamers of the world cheer). I must clear some things up for the sake of those who actually play WoW and therefore will be more judgmental of my rendition of it. First and most pressing is the language issue. I made it so there are only two dominant languages: Common, and Orcish. As in the game, Horde members can all speak Orcish, but for the sake of this arc making _any_ sense at all, Elves speak Common instead of Thalassian. Many other Horde races can speak Common as well, should they chose to. (Often enough, they don't.) Of course the Alliance, as in the game, speaks Common predominantly. Therefore, Sora can understand just about anyone. Second is the matter of WoW's main players. The game, sadly enough, lacks minor characters to play around with. Therefore I imported Sora's main companions from a different game, one which I will leave unnamed(But, major props to anyone who knows it).

_Up Ahead- An elf, a town in the desert, and a handsy Orc. _

**Through the Looking Glass**

Chapter Two

---

The first thing that Sora realized when he finally reentered the waking world was that it was way too hot to be his bedroom... _and_ it was much too sandy, now that he thought about it.

_Wait, sandy?_

The brunet unwillingly opened his eyes, and as a reward for the effort it took, his retinas were assaulted with bright sunlight that made his head pound much harder than it had been before(which was already quite a bit). Sora gasped, forcing his upper body up off of the hot sand and gripping his cranium as if it was about to explode. "Ahhhh..." he groaned, feeling pain spark just above his left eye. _Where is everyone?_ He wondered, glancing around sheepishly and finding, to his dismay, a whole lot of nothing.

Well... there was a lot of _sand_.

But, as Sora ruefully noted, there didn't seem to be a Gummi Ship nearby, nor could he locate any of his comrades.

Then, along with a sharp spasm of pain, the memories came flooding back.

The ship going down... Goofy trying to help him to the escape pod... the silky voice informing him that the pod was ejecting...

Ejecting without Sora on it.

_They... left me?_ He thought, mind going positively blank under this new revelation. "They left me..." the boy said out loud, as if that would somehow help him process the information.

"Oh _no_.." Sora groaned, the strength in his upper body failing him as he fell back into the sand with a small _thunk_. The brunet didn't really care that this made his head burst into little eruptions of stinging, or that he had probably gotten sand in the wound on his forehead, or even that he was probably going to get a horrid sunburn... because none of that really mattered. They had _left_ him. Sora felt his eyes well up, and angrily he covered them from the unrelenting sun with his arm.

He would probably die out here in this strange desert. He would die, and no one would know because everyone had left on the stupid safety pod without him.

Sora sulked for a while, one arm over his eyes and the other sprawled off to his left somewhere, until finally the heat of the day seemed to ebb away and left Sora to die a nice _cool_ death.

In fact, the boy was so busy contemplating the details of his demise that he didn't notice the dark figure heading for him. It wasn't until after the figure was much closer that Sora could hear tentative steps crunching in the nearby sand, and finally he uncovered his eyes and strained to look up.

It was a girl.

Well, it was probably a girl. Sora couldn't quite tell, because the sun was setting behind her (its?) back and making it into a rather femininely shaped silhouette. "Are you okay?" the figure asked; its voice so soft Sora was sure it had to be a girl.

"No." he muttered, shading his eyes and squinting into the woman's direction. She inched closer, until finally she was close enough to kneel at Sora's side and tilt her head thoughtfully. Soft hands gripped the sides of Sora's head, and he willfully let the stranger inspect his head wound as his eyes slid closed.

"You poor dear. Did a monster attack you? Oh... you're so young. Lucky to be alive..." the hands traveled down a bit, brushing the tips of Sora's ears.

They froze.

Sora felt the grip on his head tighten, and hissed in response. "What're you-" he started, only to be cut off.

"You're human?!" the woman's voice didn't seem gentle anymore, but had hardened with hatred and even went slightly hoarse.

The brunet was confused, looking wearily at his savior before smiling, "What else would I be?" he asked, finally opening his eyes to look at the woman incredulously. Before him squatted a girl no more than twenty, her hair stark white and skin pale, with eyes as black as night and ears tipped towards the sky. "Oh," was all Sora managed, before the hands on his head recoiled in disgust and sent him crashing back into the sand.

The woman's onyx eyes narrowed. "_Oh_? What are you doing on Horde lands?" She quickly jumped to her feet, towering over Sora's injured form. "I should kill you now, _human._"

Panic rushed through Sora's system. He couldn't walk, and he definitely couldn't fight this strange... _thing_ off. His heart sped up in his chest, the momentary burst in his pulse pounding in his ears. "Please..." he croaked; the pain in his head intensifying as he looked helplessly up at the woman."I don't even know what you're talking about!"

"Don't give me your lies. They're wasted." Suddenly she swooped down, and though Sora prepared himself for a blow, he hadn't been ready for strong hands to encircle his upper arm and drag him to his feet.

The boy's head almost exploded, a sudden head rush doing absolutely nothing for his condition.

"Ow, owowow-" he cried out, stumbling against the woman's side. She shoved at him, but kept him standing upright. "What-" Sora started, but was cut off again when the woman spoke.

"I won't kill you... _yet_. We'll just go back to town and see what the guards want to do with you." She paused, before smiling almost wickedly. "I'm sure it's worse than anything I could come up with, anyways. Come on!"

Sora was basically dragged all the way to their destination, his feet stumbling in the sand and body having issues staying upright. Even though he was injured, the hand on his arm never ceased its harsh pulling, and its owner never ceased her constant cursing and yelling at the boy to "Hurry it up" and "Get going". Sora let his eyes close, and stumbled blindly behind his captor as they walked on for what felt like hours. Finally, when he was ready to hit the sand and never get up again, the woman spoke. "I thought we'd never make it at the rate you were going. Look! It's already dark out. God.."

Wearily, Sora cracked his eyes open and watched as they approached what looked like a small town. A tilted wooden sign was attached to a small spike that jutted from the sand in front of the town's gate, and the words 'The Crossroads' were etched into it in black. The brunet's eyes widened when they strayed down to a pile of skulls near the stake, but he said nothing and continued to trail behind his captor obediently.

"Hey!" The woman called loudly, banging her free fist against the town's spiked gate. Sora assumed it was the entrance, and watched listlessly as the girl hit it with surprising force. "Open up! It's me! Silintia! C'mon!"

Her constant yelling was making Sora's head spin.

Finally, after what felt like hours (but was probably only a few seconds), a gruff voice answered from behind the gate. "Silintia... it's past curfew. I'll get in trouble if I open the gate." The woman, Silintia, drooped her shoulders before curling her fists angrily and saying in a sickly sweet voice,

"Even for me?"

"..Even for you," was her answer, causing the girl to pound her fist against the gate again.

"Well, I'll just keep yelling and banging all night!"

_Oh, god..._ Sora thought, using the arm that wasn't still in Silintia's possession to rub his head. "Listen, Thor. I swear I would've been back sooner, but I found a human! Please, isn't that reason enough to let me in?" She paused, sending Sora a distant glance, "I've got.. precious cargo!" The boy could swear he heard her giggle.

Behind the door the gruff voice actually did laugh, saying, "There's no such thing as a precious human!" before its booming laughter filled Sora's ears.

"Oh, but you should see this one!" Silintia continued, seeming almost friendly. She leaned against the wooden gate, tucking a white strand of hair behind her ear. "He's probably twelve, with the spikiest hair I've ever seen and these big, blue eyes. Almost makes it hard to despise his existence." She sent Sora a dirty look before adding, "Almost."

Sora didn't bother informing this deranged woman that he was actually fourteen, because at the same time she said 'Almost' the gate she was leaning on shuddered open and, since all her weight was against it, she fell inside.

Taking Sora, whose arm she had a death grip on, with her.

"Ah!" Sora squeaked, his body catching the sharp angles of Silintia's. _My head is gonna explode, my head is gonna explode, oh, lord..._ the brunet sang an inner mantra as his captor pushed him off of her and into the sand, shaking his head quite profusely in the process. And that was when, while Sora was busy musing on all the ways his head could explode, a large, green hand fisted in his shirt and effortlessly pulled him off of the ground. Sora actually screamed, body being held in the air by some gigantic green monster that seemed to be inspecting him. "Oh my god!" the boy gushed out, hands automatically wrapping around the monster's leathery wrist and pulling fruitlessly.

"He acts like he's never seen an Orc before.." the monster said, its voice the same one that had sounded from behind the gate. This was.. Thor?

Silintia, who had finally climbed back to her feet, smiled wide at the monster and said, "Well, those alliance kids are so sheltered. I was killing Night Elves at ten!" She puffed her chest out, seemingly oblivious the peril Sora was in.

Booming laughter filled Sora's ears again, and this time gusts of stale breath fluttered over the boy's face as the thing holding him cackled. "Please, Silintia, you were still being babied back at Silvemoon. I bet you were every bit as sheltered as this little guy." The monster, Thor, looked Sora over with beady green eyes. "So what was your plan, anyways?" he asked, directing his question to Silintia. "Why'd you bring him to town?"

The girl, who had been busy looking offended at the idea of being 'sheltered', seemed to stumble a bit before catching herself and saying, "Well.. I mean. I don't know. He's injured... and stuff. I couldn't.." She bit her lip, looking at Thor. "I mean, I just thought I'd ask the head guard what he wanted to do with the runt."

The monster set Sora back on the ground, where he stumbled backwards and almost fell into the dirt again until the soft hands of Silintia steadied him. "I'm sure..." Thor said, sounding less gruff for a moment, "..that you did the right thing. But get going and stop distracting me.." Its green eyes focused on Sora, "I've got guarding to do. Yeah."

Thor pulled the spiked gate closed behind Silintia, his large muscles rippling with the effort. Sora's captor pulled him along behind her, heading down a dirt path further into the town. The boy looked around, surprised to find that the desert town was filled with many buildings and people. There were lots monsters similar to Thor, with leathery looking green skin and dark, beady eyes that followed Sora as he lagged behind Silintia. The boy gulped, woozily taking in his surroundings and trying not to stare at anyone. The buildings in this town were mostly made from what appeared to be adobe, with wooden doors and windows, and red-paint graffiti that Sora really _really _hoped was just paint.

Most of the buildings were crumbling slightly, and looked weather-worn and beaten. The brunet was so busy staring at all the different structures that he didn't realize he had entered one until instead of being showered in dim moonlight, he was in a dark, stuffy room with only a few candles for illumination.

"Sir!" Silintia's voice fluttered to Sora's ears, sounding much more on edge than it had with Thor. When the boy looked at her, she was standing rigidly at attention in front of an Orc with brown, weathered skin and beady black eyes. The thing was sitting comfortably in a large, wooden chair that looked similar to a throne.

It was decorated in skulls.

Sora shivered, watching as the monster brushed its thick fingers through the sparse, black hair that grew at its chin. "What've you brought me now, Silintia?" Its beady eyes trained onto Sora, and a slow smile spread across its face. "Something to play with?"

Silintia shrunk back a bit, unconsciously moving in front of her charge. "I found him out in the Barrens. He's... human, and I wasn't sure what to do with him."

The smile on the Orcs face grew tenfold, revealing large yellow teeth behind its cracked, chalky lips. "Oh, you can leave it with me, dear." The Orc stood, sturdy legs bringing it to its full height as it motioned to the door. "Run along now, girl."

Silintia skirted away quickly, sending Sora an almost remorseful glace as she disappeared from the room.

Leaving him alone.

"Um.. There's some kind of mistake here, you know?" Sora said, inching away from the Orc slightly. "I'm not from this.. Alliance thing everyone keeps talking about. I'm not your enemy! My ship just crashed here and my friends left me and.. and.." The monster wasn't listening. It was watching Sora with a hungry glint in its eyes. "Um.." the boy said again, craning his neck up to stare that the monster's face. "Are you going to eat me or something?" He asked, uncomfortable.

"Eat you?" It echoed, tilting his head.

Sora stomach dropped, his own head still spinning and throbbing above his left eye. "I'd really rather you didn't..." he mumbled, earning a loud laugh from the Orc.

"I'm not going to eat you." It said, dropping down onto its humongous knees so that it was face-to-face with Sora. "I'm going to follow protocol, of course. First off, are you concealing any weapons? If so, please hand them over." the monster's voice sounded professional, but Sora knew that it couldn't take the keyblade from him and would only get angrier if it tried. He shook his head. "No, none? Well... it is in your nature to lie. Isabel?"

A large, leather-skinned Orc came out of a doorway to Sora's left. He started, staring at the green-hued monster with red hair and a bone through its nose. The boy panicked, stumbling away from the lead guard and his strange companion. "Isabel, could you be a dear and search our new friend for any weapons?"

The red-haired Orc grunted, and advanced upon Sora.

* * *

Silintia was waiting outside, unsure about what would be done to the boy she had found in the desert, but unwilling to totally leave him. She leaned against the white adobe wall of the head guard's quarters, shoulder digging into the chipped stone uncomfortably. She could hear muffled voices inside, but try as she might she couldn't make any sense of their words. Straining, the elf pressed her elongated ear to the white adobe and listened, hearing nothing but the guard's menacing laughter.

She felt sick.

"What're you doing, Silly-One?" came a low, feminine voice from behind Silintia. She jerked away from the wall, whirling around to face the person who had snuck up behind her. "Eavesdropping is bad."

"Morphinia.." Silintia gasped; her heart rate jumping. "God, you scared me."

In front of her stood a small blonde elf with choppy short hair and large emerald eyes. "Scared you?" She mused, lips breaking into a smile. "I didn't know anything could scare you." The elf's full face tilted to the side as she laughed, her armor clinking obnoxiously under the shaking of her shoulders. Silintia scowled, fisting a hand into her own cloth robes.

"What're you doing out here, Morph?" She asked, distantly glancing at the guard's door. Her friend shrugged, placing gloved hands on her slender hips.

"I was looking for you. See, I ran into Thor and he said you had brought a human into town-"

"Silintia!"

Both of the female elves turned towards guard's quarters in surprise, watching as the door swung open and Sora stumbled out. The lead guard followed, catching the boy by the back of his collar and hoisting him into the air. "Do you know what you've found?" He boomed, holding Sora up for everyone inspection.

"Um.. a human?" Silintia said, watching with unsure eyes as the guard swung Sora around by his hem. The brunet made a quick "Eep!" as the general ungraciously dropped him onto the ground and stepped over him, heading towards the woman who had brought him here.

"I think it's bigger than that. We found stuff in his pockets, things we've never seen before!" The guard leaned closer, his foul breath washing over Silintia's face. He lowered his voice, "I think it might be one of their scientists.."

Sora finally picked himself up off of the ground, looking at the scene in front of him with confusion. Silintia was discreetly ebbing away from the head guard, who was leaning comically over her and whispering frantically. Not too far away from them stood another elf whose round face was staring directly at Sora in shock. He stared back blankly, the pulsing in his forehead becoming too much to put up with. Finally, not really caring that he was interrupting whatever Silintia and the Guard were whispering about, the boy shouted, "I am NOT from the Alliance! I'm not even from this world! You. People. Are. Crazy!"

And then he passed out.

* * *

**Note:** My stories don't take themselves too seriously. Well, it was another short one, but this chapter basically set up Sora's entire stay in the World of Warcraft. Starving for longer chapters? The next one is over 18 pages.

Reviews are sexy.


	3. World of Warcraft 2

**A/N: **I wish people reviewed this book more. It wants way more love than it's getting… Yay for 18 pages?

_Up Ahead- Whipping winds, battling heartless, and Anti-Sora!_

**Through the Looking Glass**

Chapter Three

---

Sora awoke, confused and disoriented, for the second time that day.

This time, though, instead of lying in the middle of the desert under the scorching sun, he was apparently cuddled into a bed of furs near what felt like a decent fire.

"Mmmn." Sora groaned, rolling onto his side and burrowing into the furs more. The cracking of the fire was soothing, and he was so warm and nice... it was fantastic. The boy mumbled incoherently, fighting the pull of the waking world as he buried his face into the crook of his arm.

"Silintia... I think he's waking up," a voice somewhere above Sora sounded. "Hey kid, c'mon, wake up." The brunet grumbled in his sleep, swatting distantly in the direction of the voice. His fingers brushing something smooth before falling back to his side. He snuggled deeper, ignoring the loud, indignant cry of, "He just hit me! _In the face!_" Sora rolled onto his back, happily wiggling into the comfortable bed. Nothing could wake him up. Nothing in the world. He was going to sleep for all eternity...

Until something icy cold splashed over his face and gushed up his nose, sending the brunet scrambling to the side while he choked and sputtered. "What--what was that?!" he gasped, trying to blow the water out of his nose.

"Payback, you runt!" was his only answer.

Sora groaned, blearily wiping his eyes and looking dumbly in the direction of the voice. To his surprise, it wasn't Silintia looming over him with a large pitcher of water, but a small blonde elf he had seen somewhere before. The boy coughed, remembering she had been the last person he had seen before passing out. "Who.. who are you?" He asked weakly, eying the half-empty jug.

"Morphinia," the elf answered, before dumping the rest of the jug over Sora's head. She smiled widely, looking behind the boy's head and saying, "Just to make sure he's awake."

"I'm _awake_." Sora said indignantly, straining to look over his shoulder. Silintia was sitting there, white hair pulled back into a bun and an amused smile plastered onto her features. He almost smiled at the elf, before scowling instead and turning back towards Morphinia. "What happened?" he said, realizing that his head didn't hurt quite as much as it had earlier.

Of course that wasn't saying much.

Morphinia leaned back, standing up and looking down at the boy. "You passed out," she said simply. "We had to carry you back, and for someone so small... god." The elf looked like she was about to ask him how much he ate, but was interrupted when another, taller elf with long blonde hair a glowing green eyes cleared her throat.

"The potion..." she said softly, quickly handing a vial filled with red liquid to Morphinia. The elf scampered off before Morphinia could thank her, but Sora followed her with his eyes and found that they weren't in someone's house…

They were in what appeared to be a bar.

He was in the corner of the room, sitting on now wet furs and looking about helplessly. There were tables everywhere, filled with Orcs and Elves and other strange creatures. And everything seemed to be staring at him with interest, watching as the human boy shrank back towards the fire and away from their eager eyes.

"What's wrong?" asked Silintia, who, now that Sora looked closely, was sitting at a table with what appeared to be two living corpses. Sora scooted away, pulling the furs over himself and feeling self-conscious. He had to be quite a sight... with a huge, dirty gash on his forehead and all the sand on his skin. The boy realized he was practically caked in the stuff, and he shook it off absently.

Morphinia leaned down onto the furs, forcefully pulling them from Sora's death grip and laying them back on the floor. "Hey kid, drink this," she said, thrusting the vial of red liquid until Sora's nose.

"My name is Sora..." he said softy, taking the vial hesitantly and sniffing it."Is it poison?"

The blonde elf laughed, "It's a healing potion… for your forehead. We're going to take you to Thrall, and we can't have you passing out or dying along the way." Sora decided her voice was much too cheerful to be saying all of that in one sentence. He drank the potion anyways, distantly wondering what had happened to all the ones he had in his pockets. The brunet sighed, realizing that his pockets felt particularly empty...

They had robbed him?

Great.

Sora decided that that didn't really matter, because as the potion worked its way into his system he was starting to feel all kinds of wonderful. It was like he could think properly for the first time in days, and he liked that.

A lot.

"That stuff is good," he said happily, dabbing at his forehead and finding that instead of a large gash, there was only coagulated blood mixed with sand. He scraped the substance away with his nails, smiling broadly at Morphinia who was grinning back.

The blonde elf continued to smile even as she ripped Sora to his feet and shoved him away. "I know, isn't it wonderful?" she was saying, dragging him forcefully over to Silintia. "If he passes out again he's sleeping on the floor," the elf said to her white-haired friend. "I can't believe I had to let a human in my bed..."

Morphinia continued to grumble, moving back to the furs and laying down on them, completely ignoring the fact that they were soaked. "If anyone wakes me up before first light I'll chop their head off!" she yelled, before rolling over to face the fire and promptly passing out.

Sora was too busy staring at the particularly large axes strapped to the blonde elf's back to ask what had just happened. He sent Silintia a panicked look, but found that she was smiling broadly in her friend's direction. "She didn't get much sleep last night..." the elf explained, before looking Sora over."So, your name is Sora, is it?" she questioned, watching the boy nod hesitantly. The high from the potion had worn off, and now Sora remembered that these people wanted him dead.

He gulped.

"So, um, who is this Thrall guy you're taking me to see?" he asked, hoping upon hope that it was a nice gentle pony or maybe the name of a spaceship they were going to give him.

The elf in front of him looked bored. "You really are a great actor, huh?" She said, black eyes staring distantly at the fire. "Well, since you 'don't know' who the great Thrall is, I guess I have to explain. Thrall," Silintia began, her eyes looking almost starry, "is the Warchief of the Horde, and the ruler of Durotar. He's a great warrior, and he's killed hundreds, maybe thousands of humans just like you. From what I suspect, Thrall will be the last thing you see in the world of the living."

Sora shifted uncomfortably. "So, you're taking me to this guy? And he's going to kill me?"

"Probably."

"But there's a chance he won't?"

"Hey, I never said that-" Silintia started.

"But you said 'probably', and that implies that he won't necessarily kill me." Sora cut her off, looking excited.

"Well, I guess. But probably means there is a good chance of it."

Sora shoulders deflated a little, and he sent Morphinia's axes a rueful glance. "And if he doesn't, you will. Right?"

Silintia had the decency to look away.

"Well?" the brunet boy pushed, feeling his heart speed up.

"I'll do whatever I'm ordered to do, Sora," the elf said, turning back to her table and taking a swig of a strangely colored, bubbling liquid. "If that means killing you, yeah. I'll kill you. I have no problem with killing you."

Gee, hadn't he found himself the nicest people to stay with?

Sora sighed, lowering himself down onto the floor and staring gloomily at the fire. _How am I going to get out of this?_ He wondered, making a mental checklist of how much his current situation sucked. He was in a town that was surrounded by huge, spiked gates; that was crawling with monsters and hated him and guards that would kill him on sight, and the only people he had that were even close to companions were the people who would chop his head off the moment they were told to.

Just great.

"Hey, Silintia?" he asked, turning back towards the elf that was chatting away animatedly with the dead people at her table. She looked down at him, eyebrow arching delicately.

"What?"

Sora bit his lip. "Where is Thrall? He obviously isn't here, or you'd have already taken me to him.."

Silintia took another gulp of her bubbling drink and smiled crookedly, "How observant you are! Thrall is in Orgrimmar, but don't worry my little flower..." the elf swayed a bit in her seat, "it's not far! A day and a half of walking and the doom of Thrall shall be upon you."

The threat of that sentence was impaired when Silintia began giggling, and gushing to the dead people who were with her about how great the drinks were. Sora looked away uncomfortably, wondering if she had really called him her 'flower'. Either way, it didn't matter. Sora knew that outside of this town was open desert, with no walls or people around to capture him.

He would be able to escape from a drunken elf and her sleepy friend with ease.

Smiling, Sora watched the fire burn.

* * *

Morning came far too quickly for Sora's tastes. The boy had managed to fall asleep against the wooden leg of Silintia's table sometime in the night, and what felt like a few moments later the white haired elf was shoving his shoulders and telling at him to wake up. _I cannot wait to get away from this woman_, Sora thought to himself, groggily wiping his eyes and stumbling to his feet. A little ways away Silintia was toeing Morphinia into consciousness, the blonde elf cursing and mumbling about the horrors she would wreck upon the world if she didn't get five more minutes.

"We're wasting daylight, you useless bag of bones," the taller of the two muttered, jabbing the steel of Morphinia's armor with her boot.

The blonde elf gurgled something along the lines of, "Don't the words 'I will kill you' scare you at _all_?"

Silintia laughed and replied, "Not when coming from you."

Morphinia pulled herself out of the furs and cursed, crawling to her knees and sending Sora a dirty look. "This," she raised a hand weakly, "is all your fault. Stupid humans and their stupid existence."

"I'm.. sorry for existing, then…" Sora said, watching as the elf pulled herself to her feet and wiped her eyes.

The double axes on Morphinia's back clanked noisily as she readjusted them; the elf muttered a quick, "As you should be," in Sora's direction before shoving past him and join Silintia. The white haired elf was talking quietly with the tall, blonde elf from the night before. Sora lagged by the fire, which was only a small pile of embers now, but still warmed him in the cold of dawn. The boy was lost in thought when suddenly a hand gripped him by the hood of his jacket and pulled rather abruptly. "We're going now," Morphinia said, watching in amusement as Sora stumbled and almost hit the floor.

The brunet sent his captor a particularly dirty look, straightening up and shaking the wrinkles from his clothes. "Right then," he murmured, the only thing keeping him from 'accidentally' tripping and shoving Morphinia were the spikes that protruded from her armor.

They didn't look too fun.

Sora followed Silintia and Morphinia out from the tavern, squinting and shielding his eyes from the morning sun. It was still cold outside from the night, and Sora shivered when a gust of wind whipped at the entire group. His spikes fluttered in the wind, specks of sand flying up into the boy's eyes.

Not far ahead Silintia was talking with Thor, resting a hand on her hip and looking rather annoyed. She had changed robes sometime in the night, and was now wearing a silver breastplate from which thick, white robes sprouted and fell shapelessly down to her boots. The robes were sleeved, but didn't cover her shoulders and completely hid the girl's hands. Her hair was still pulled back into a bun, but the bangs that hung free were flying awkwardly in the morning wind. The elf tried to keep them tucked behind her strangely shaped ears, but eventually gave up and instead focused on demanding something from Thor. When Sora got closer, he could hear her shout, "I know you have it. I know Deatheye fixed it, and I want it before we leave."

Finally, a large, blood red pendant fell into her outstretched hand. Thor smiled broadly, speaking loudly over the whipping wind. "It wasn't easy to repair, just so you know! But Nargal swears it'll help with your fire magic, so I guess it's worth it." Silintia nodded, clipping the pendant around her neck before turning to Sora.

"Ready?" She asked, again attempting to keep her bangs from impaling her in the eye. Sora was tempted to mention that he didn't have a choice, but instead nodded and hurried to the elf's side.

Morphinia sidled up to the two, a bulbous pack slung over her shoulder and a large pole gripped loosely in her left hand. "I thought you'd want this.." the blonde shouted, grimacing as sand got in her mouth. She held the pole out to Silintia, who took it gratefully and slung it over her back. It began to glow a soft red color when she touched it.

Silintia situated a white hood over her head and was the first to exit the gates, her face angled down against the wind. Morphinia followed, gloved hand unnecessarily dragging Sora along behind her.

The large, spiked gates slammed shut behind Sora's back, leaving him alone with two people who hated his guts and a desert that would kill him if they didn't.

Fun, fun.

They walked quietly for most of the morning, Sora waiting for the opportune moment to make his escape. He tried a couple times, lagging behind Morphinia and inching to the west, but each time he did the elf would take two steps, stop, pull out her axes, and threaten to chop his head off. That in itself was enough motivation to keep him glued to the blonde's side, watching in dismay as Silintia trudged ahead of them. He wished the white haired elf had been the one in back, because all she had for a weapon was a glowy, over sized stick.

Sora could take a stick, but he wasn't sure about the axes.

And so they traveled on, heads braced against the wind as the sun traveled higher and higher in the sky. It wasn't cold anymore, and Sora could feel perspiration dripping down the nape of his neck when he looked around. Sand was sticking to his sweaty skin, and he felt absolutely disgusting.

According to Morphinia, he looked it, too.

When midday came around, and the sun pranced overhead, the strangest weather phenomenon occurred. One moment they were hurling themselves into the wind, and the next the desert was calm as death. Sora was so taken off guard that he took a step forward, cried out, and fell over. The boy hadn't been ready to find no resistance in his steps, and from where he was, face down in the sand; he could hear Morphinia laughing heartily.

"It does that," she said, actually taking the time to help Sora up. The brunet spit out a mouthful of sand and grimaced, wiping and his tongue. "Here," Morphinia mumbled, rooting around in the pack on her shoulder for something. She pulled out a canister of water and offered it to Sora, who took a greedy swig from it and sloshed the water around in his mouth.

"Thanks," he called, spitting onto the ground and hurrying after the elf, who had already started to walk away. He handed her the canister, which she shoved back into her pack as they walked slowly together. Morphinia glanced up at the sun, shielding her eyes and looking dazed. She wiped at the sweat on her temples, which was making the sharp edge of her armor chafe against her neck. "So what's that thing you gave Silintia, anyways?" came Sora's voice. The elf looked suspiciously to her left, watching the boy smile easily.

"You know, it's almost easy to believe you really _aren't_ from this world." The blonde sighed, sending Silintia a cautious glance.

"Because I'm no-" Sora started, only to be cut off.

"I know, I know. Whatever you say." Morphinia said, smiling. "It's called a staff. It's a magical weapon that mages use to channel their energies." Sora's distant, wide-eyed stare made the girl continue on. "You know what mages are, don't you?"

Sora shook his head.

And so, Morphinia spent the rest of the afternoon explaining to Sora all the wonders of magic. She told him how certain children were born with 'The Gift', which they trained and could use to cast spells and create things like fireballs and ice storms. She told him that there were different variations of The Gift, and that some people with it could inflict deadly diseases, others could contact spirits, and how a special few could even control animals. Sora listened attentively, his eyes round as he imagined how amazing having powers like the ones Morphinia explained would be. Sure, he could do a few spells with the keyblade... but it sounded a lot more fun to be able to shoot fireballs from his hand.

"So, do you have The Gift?" he questioned, watching as the elf twisted her shoulders uncomfortably under the weight of her axes.

"I..." Morphinia's emerald orbs tracked onto Silintia's back for a moment, before she leaned close to Sora and whispered in his ear, "I do."

"Why are you whispering?" Sora mumbled, wondering if Silintia wasn't supposed to hear this.

The elf next to him chuckled. "Because I can control animals," she said lowly; so much so that Sora had to strain to hear her. The boy tilted his head, confused.

"Is that... bad?"

The two were so busy whispering that they didn't notice Silintia had stopped walking until Sora crashed into her back. The white haired elf turned around slowly, watching Sora stumble backwards a few steps. "It's bad, Sora," she said, startling both of her companions. "It's bad because it's considered dark magic, just like the magic of the Warlocks who inflict terrible diseases on people. It's bad because Morphinia can control _any_ animal, even Elves or Orcs... or Humans." Her hands were trembling as she muttered, "I can't believe you actually told him about it, Morph. God." The elf whirled around and stalked off, the white hood that had covered her head falling down from the force.

"Um..." Sora began, looking at the suddenly crestfallen Morphinia. "Should you... not have told me about it?"

The elf's fists clenched at her sides, and she looked away. "Most children with that gift are killed at birth, because it's considered too powerful…" She wet her lips and started walking after Silintia. "I'm alive because my parents kept it a secret, and because I have, too. I shouldn't have told you.. Oh, god."

For a moment Sora imagined using this information as blackmail to get away from Silintia and Morphinia, but one look at the elf next to him told Sora he couldn't. "Hey..." the boy said, grabbing Morphinia's fisted hand. She looked up in surprise, ceasing to walk and instead watching as Sora's easy, disarming smile fell into place. "I won't tell anyone, I swear. You can chop me up and feed me to an Orc, but I won't tell!"

The boy paused. "Though.. I'd really rather you didn't do that..." Morphinia chuckled as Sora continued, "But what I'm trying to say is that it's kind of my job to protect people, you know? And even though you've threatened to cut my head off thirteen times now... I wouldn't tell anyone."

The elf smiled for a split second, before awkwardly pulling her hand away from Sora's and scratching the back of her neck. "Ah... you are probably the worst human ever, talking like that to a Blood Elf."

The two set off after Silintia, trudging through the endless sand and quarrelling rather companionably about whether or not Sora was a failure as a human. They talked until dusk, ignoring the reproachful glances Silintia sent over her shoulder as they marched along.

Finally the orange sky of day bled into a peaceful, ambient lilac color as the moon replaced the scorching sun. Sora heaved a sigh, rolling his hips awkwardly as the ache of walking nonstop all day finally set in. "Are we going to stop anytime soon?" he asked, glancing over at Morphinia and watching as she rearranged the axes on her back for the umpteenth time that day. "Those must be heavy…" the boy mused, bracing his hands behind his head and staring up at the starry sky.

"They are," Morphinia sighed. "And I don't know if we're going to stop. I thought we would, but I think Silintia wants you dead as quickly as possible, so maybe we'll just walk through the night."

Sora shivered.

"We're going to stop," said Silintia, not bothering to look back at her companions. "Though I _do_ want Sora dead, I don't want to die of exhaustion in the process. Here is fine." The elf stopped walking, turned around, and gracefully lowered herself onto her bottom.

Morphinia shuffled past Sora quickly, stopping a few feet in front of her white-haired friend and limberly pulling the bulky pack off of her shoulder. It hit the ground hard, making sand billow into the air as Morphinia dropped to her knees and began to rummage though the bag's contents. To Sora's surprise, the blonde elf produced a relatively large log, roughly the same size and width of the girl's forearm. She dropped it onto the ground behind her, and then proceeded to extract two more logs of the same size.

"You were lugging those around all day…?" Sora asked, watching with large eyes as Morphinia quietly situated the logs into a teepee.

The elf smiled, "Yeah," she said, jerking her head to the side to keep blonde strands of hair out of her eyes. "Silintia?" she questioned, looking over at her friend. "Could you light this?"

And then, for the first time since he had come to this world, Sora witnessed The Gift.

One moment Silintia was sitting there, watching blankly as Morphinia arranged the wood, and the next her palm was facing the sky and burning crimson. "Sure," the mage muttered, her pristine features glowing softly. A quick flick to the wrist was all it took, and then the ball of flame in Silintia's hand was hurling towards the logs Morphinia had set out. They immediately began to blaze, probably coated in some kind of chemical that made catching fire easier.

Sora watched the entire spectacle with a mystified expression, curling his palms slightly in the hope that they would suddenly be engulfed in flames. Morphinia was rummaging around in her pack again, while Silintia had fixed Sora with an aggressive stare that practically read, 'Haha… I can do magic and you can't!'

Oh, he so wanted to pull out his keyblade and give her a real show. Maybe fire didn't come from his palms, but he could do magic and… and… lock _worlds_.

And stuff.

Sourly, the brunet shuffled over to the fire and plopped down, sand shifting awkwardly under his bottom and tipping him off balance. Sora fluttered for a moment before slamming a gloved palm into the ground and steadying himself.

Silintia was smirking, a pale hand tilted towards the sky and glowing slightly. The air around her palm wavered for a moment, and then was distorted by a clear sphere of undulating liquid. The white-haired elf flexed her fingers, watching in distant amusement as the ball in her hand twisted and turned at her will. She paused, looked up, and smiled sickly at Sora. "For the sand," she explained, guiding the orb of what Sora assumed was water over the sleeve of her now tan looking robes. It attracted the sand like a magnet, seemingly sucking the substance from wherever Silintia guided it and leaving in its wake white fabric.

The mage continued her cleaning treatment, removing the sand from her arms and legs and even her hair (which had turned a sickly yellow color) while Sora watched. The brunet looked away when Silintia uncaringly hiked her robe up her thigh and ripped her boots off; turning them upside down and watching in dismay as more than a handful of earth dropped out. "How does it even get _in_ here?" the elf asked, looking off to the left where Morphinia was awkwardly hopping around on one foot and trying to remove her metal boot.

"I don- oh!" the blonde elf cried and lost balance, arms flailing wildly for a moment before she fell backwards and hit the sand with an, "Oof!"

Sora was at her side in an instant, nervous fingers fluttering. "Are you okay?" he asked, ignoring the obnoxious laughing coming from Silintia's direction. Beside him, Morphinia laid spread eagle, with her arms thrown out and head lulling. The elf was shaking, and just before Sora could repeat his question she rolled onto her side and gripped at her ribs, laughing shrilly along with Silintia.

"I'm-I'm fine," Morphinia gasped out, gloved hand grabbing Sora's shoulder and using it as leverage to pull herself into a sitting position.

The brunet blanched when Morphinia proceeded to rip her shoes off and empty them, wiggling sandy toes in his direction. "Really," Sora said, moving back to his spot across from the blonde, "I thought you were hurt... twitching like that." He pulled off his own oversized shoes and watched the sand fall, pursing his lips. "I have the craziest captors ever."

"At least we haven't eaten you!" Morphinia replied in a chipper tone, sending Sora a twisted smile. "..yet." The semi-threat, mostly-joke was ruined when the blonde elf's stomach gurgled loudly, making her looked down in surprise and announce rather bluntly, "I'm hungry."

Across the fire Silintia was laughing again; a grin lighting up her features better than the fire ever could. "No, really?" she asked, cobalt eyes shining the in flame's depths.

"Silintia," Morphinia called in a sing-song voice, "conjure me some bread."

The mage didn't reply, but she began swaying her delicate hands around in a rolling motion that seemed to please Morphinia. The blonde nodded happily, watching along with Sora as the heaving of Silintia's hands grew faster and faster, a white spark-like thing catching between her palms and swelling, purple energy crackling at its edges as it engulfed the elf's hands and illuminated her features. Onyx eyes flashed white for the briefest moment, and then the light dissipated; leaving a large loaf of bread cupped in Silintia's outstretched hands.

"Nothing more," the elf gasped, throwing the loaf over to Morphinia. She caught it expertly, and was breaking a piece off happily when Silintia gripped her side and grimaced.

Morphinia nibbled at her bread, looking at her friend. "Worn yourself out already?" She gulped down another bite of bread, "I can see why. You maintained that water spell for quite a while." Beads of sweat formed at Silintia's hairline, and the elf's expression intensified. Sora watched with wide eyes, crouching low in the sand and beginning to move in her direction. "Don't bother, Sora." Morphinia called, breaking off a piece of bread and giving it to the boy. "She's just overexerted herself. If you were more like a warrior…" she addressed Silintia, "You would just put up with the sand instead of putting so much effort into being clean. You'll be ruined by morning, anyways."

Silintia's shaking hands wound away from her sides, and she uneasily grasped them in her lap. "I'm okay with not being a warrior, and I bet if you could you would clean yourself off, too. Sand is disgusting."

"Not really," replied Morphinia over a mouthful of bread. "Makes me feel alive."

Sora (who was switching between munching on his bread and looking between Silintia and Morphinia) chose this moment to speak up. "Sand feels gross…" he said, avoiding the daggers Morphinia glared at him.

"Whatever. Get used to it." The blonde muttered, gulping down the last of her bread before swiftly removing the axes from her back and placing them carefully to the side. Sora eyed them warily, but relaxed when it became apparent that his head was in no immediate danger. "I'm pretty tired…" Morphinia said, stifling a yawn while uncrossing her legs and letting them sprawl.

"Food has a tendency to do that," was all Silintia said before un-strapping the pole from her back and throwing it off to the side. She tucked white bangs behind her ear, sent Sora an uncalled-for hateful glare, and proceeded to fall backwards in the sand. "'Night," the elf called, earning a low mumble from Morphinia.

Both elves had curled up near the fire, Morphinia with her head in the sand and Silintia using her own arm as a pillow. Sora sat there, watching distantly.

Silintia+Morphinia-weapons+unconsciousness=…?

Oh.

Oooooh.

A sneaky smirk worked its way onto Sora's features, but he quickly smothered it when Morphinia glanced at him. "If you try to leave… well, you know. The head and axes thing… yeah."

"Right," Sora nodded, lowering himself onto the sand and yawning happily. He was pretty tired… sleep sounded so nice…

_No, no... must stay awake. _The boy chastised himself, closing his eyes and falling into a faux sleep. He listened carefully, the sounds of the night surrounding him. After only a few minutes he could hear obnoxious snoring coming from Morphinia's direction, and not long after Silintia was breathing deeply and rolling away from the fire. Sora peeked at their sleeping forms, but for almost another thirty minutes he stayed still as death, waiting for either of his captors to betray themselves as secretly awake.

They didn't.

Eventually, his muscles quivering with excitement, Sora slowly lifted his hands and placed them in the sand. He shot Morphinia a quick glance before pushing down, holding his breath as the crown necklace he wore clinked against the zipper of his jacket. The sound was almost deafening in the quiet. Sora froze, brunet spikes swaying as the wind picked up gently.

_Just the wind… no axes flying at my face yet._

He really needed to get out of here.

Finally Sora worked up the courage to shift onto his knees, and the resulting symphony of shifting clothes and jingling chains was enough to burst his eardrums. Muscles clenched, the boy forced himself to his feet and held his breath, sucking in as if that would make him quieter. Paranoid cerulean eyes traveled over their makeshift camp, straying to his captors' sleeping forms before staring blankly at the distant horizon.

And then, never taking his eyes off of Morphinia (or, more accurately, her axes), Sora back-walked away from the fire and into the night. After he felt he was sufficiently far, the boy whirled around and set off like a bullet, fleeing through the sand desperately. _I made it!_ He thought, grinning stupidly. Freedom had never felt so-

"Where are you going?"

Shit.

Surprised, Sora stumbled forward in the sand and face-planted. The boy yelped, jerking onto his back and scooting away.

Silintia was standing only a few feet away from him, palm blazing with a spherical orb of fire. Her onyx eyes were slit, a deadly glint shining in them as the fire flexed along with her fingers. "Trying to escape?" she asked, stepping towards the fallen boy. Sora shimmied away, looking behind the looming Silintia for her comrade.

Morphinia wasn't there.

"You came alone?" Sora gasped out, watching Silintia as she continued approaching. When he glanced down, he saw her feet were glowing a soft lavender color as they crunched through the sand. She had probably used a speed spell of some sort to catch him…

"Morphinia's assistance was not required for the capture of a simple human." The elf hissed; her voice as low as a whisper. "I suggest you come back now, because running is useless, and you have no weapon. I was told not to kill you _unless I had to_. I meant what I said back at the lodge. I have no problem with it."

Sora stayed on the ground, his breath dragging into his lungs raggedly. "I won't go back with you," he said, voice betraying none of his panic. The boy pulled himself to his feet, right arm shakily flying out to his side. "I don't want to fight you, Silintia…"

The smile that split Silintia's face was almost manic, her eyes dilating. "Like you could!" the fire in her palm roared to life, hissing and twisting violently. The force of it made her bangs fly up, her bun barely holding as the rest of her hair danced in the pressure. Sora stared in something akin to horror, wondering distantly if it had been presumptuous to think he could defeat this black-eyed madwoman if he had to.

As the boy watched, his eyes unconsciously strayed to the area just above Silintia's right shoulder. Something had moved there, a body darker than night shifting against the amethyst horizon. At first Sora thought Morphinia was finally joining the confrontation, but as whatever it was moved closer a familiar tingle worked its way down the boy's spine and engulfed his entire body.

"It couldn't be…" he murmured, earning a confused glance from Silintia. Yellow eyes, he could see them now, approached behind the elf as the fire in her hand brought the beings into sight.

Heartless.

There were heartless approaching a few feet behind Silintia, their yellow sets of eyes numerous. The mage seemed unaware, and was instead looking pleased at Sora's terrified expression. The boy himself was frozen, confused as to why heartless would be in this world, where they had come from, and what they were planning to do to the oblivious Silintia. It would be easy to let them engulf her; to flee while they launched a surprise attack…

The heartless reared up, and charged. Before logic could let Sora entertain any thought of letting them attack, instinct took over and he was hurling forward, keyblade summoned with a flash as he screamed, "MOVE!"

Silintia, who was busy being shocked at the sudden weapon in Sora's possession, didn't have time to react. The elf was frozen, watching with wide eyes as her captive charged to her side and easily shoved her to the ground behind him. The brunet's forearm brushed through the fire cupped in Silintia's palm, but he didn't seem to mind. As the mage stumbled onto her butt, Sora flew into the horde of heartless and danced around them, keyblade biting into their bodies of darkness with ease and banishing them to nothingness.

On the ground, Silintia's jaw was hanging slack. Sora, who back slashed one heartless while simultaneously kicking another in the face, didn't notice the elf force herself to her feet. He continued to fight, body arching forward to avoid the sharp claws of one assailant. The boy swung his keyblade back to point at the attacking heartless, unknowingly slashing two others in the process. Gripping the hilt with both hands, Sora willed a stream of fireballs to engulf the creature. Suddenly a hand was gripping the boy's shoulder, and Sora looked up to see a terrified looking Silintia. "What's going on?!" she asked, realizing they were surrounded by at least twenty monsters.

At the same time Silintia spoke the circle of heartless constricted, some launching themselves at the elf and others charging the keyblade master. "Ah!" was all Sora could hear from his companion as multiple claws tore her away from him.

"Silintia!" he yelled, forgetting that she had been ready to kill him a few minutes ago. The boy screamed loudly, thrashing the heartless off of his body and swinging the keyblade at them with malicious eyes. He turned to where Silintia was, and saw that the woman was almost completely covered with black beings. She writhed around, whimpering as they crushed her into the sand and tried to swallow her whole.

Sora rushed at her, legs catching in the masses of heartless that were charging him. It seemed as if there were even more now, and the boy swung carelessly at them. Finally he stopped even trying to kill them, and instead focused of shaking them off and at the same time getting to Silintia. The elf had stopped withering now, and was instead curled onto her side. "Get them off…" she was whispering over and over, covering her face in her hands and surrendering to the death she was sure awaited.

Just as the elf was giving into the heartless, Sora made it through the mass of black around her and dropped to his knees. "Hold on!" he cried, ignoring the heartless that launched themselves onto his back and instead focusing on ripping the ones clinging to Silintia off. The brunet threw them away easily; his own small body reaching over his companion's to pull away the monsters.

"Sora…" Silintia croaked, looking up at him as he shoved away the last heartless from her and smiled crookedly.

"You need to get away," he groaned, and Silintia realized that multitudes of the small monsters were crawling onto his back and up his front. "Just get away from here…" Sora said, planting the keyblade's head into the sand and using its hilt as leverage to stand. The boy turned away, struggling to raise his right arm. A heartless bit his hand and made him drop the keyblade, which fell to the ground and disappeared with a _crack_. Silintia, who was still sitting dumbly on the ground behind him, watched as Sora was engulfed by more and more heartless. "Get away!" the boy yelled again, and at the same time there was a blinding flash of light that blew the heartless off of him.

Silintia shaded her eyes, and by the time she could look up again Sora was hunched on the ground in front of her, his back facing her as black spread over his skin and clothes. The elf watched in horror, scooting away in the sand as the Sora before her howled angrily and suddenly sprinted at the hordes of heartless.

It slashed wildly into the center of the crowd, thoughtlessly dragging elongated claws through the malleable bodies of darkness around him. Silintia shakily got to her feet, trying desperately to catch a glimpse of the boy as the heartless around him began to slowly but surely be eaten away by his madness. Every now and then the woman saw Sora leap out of the group, his eyes glowing an eerie yellow when he looked at her. Each time he would regard her for a moment before hurling himself back into the pits of fighting, his howls sending shivers down the elf's spine as she watched helplessly.

Finally, after violently crushing the last scurrying heartless into nothingness, Sora turned to Silintia. His luminescent eyes were wavering, black spikes waving in the gentle winds of twilight as he took a few deformed, animalistic steps towards the woman. "Sora…" she said lightly, eyeing the way his shadowy skin stretched and bent over the twitching muscles in his calves. Silintia took a few unconscious steps back, whispering the boy's name again as he approached her.

And then, as quickly as it had come, the blackness of Sora's skin skirted away. His entire body shimmered slightly, as if reality had lapsed for a moment and allowed him to return to normal. Blue eyes wavered, and the boy took two shaky steps before stumbling forward into the sand. Silintia was at his side in a second, nervous fingers fluttering about his fallen form. "Are you okay?" she asked, gingerly helping Sora to his feet.

"I've been better..." the boy said, cerulean orbs locking with Silintia's onyx. "What happened?"

The elf deadpanned, white bangs whipping around as the wind picked up. "I was about to ask you…" she mumbled, keeping a hand on Sora's arm to steady him. "I mean, one second those black monsters-"

"Heartless," Sora interjected.

"-Heatless, whatever. One second they were attacking, and I mean they were _everywhere_… all over me, and you-you…" Silintia looked away, wetting her lips. "You pulled them off of me, and I guess that attracted them to you. Then there was this flash and _you_ went all black and started ripping them apart… it was scary. I thought you were going to attack me."

Sora looked confused, as if she was telling him something completely unbelievable. "I remember the heartless," he said, absently scratching the back of his head. "M'not really sure what you're talking about with the-ah.." The boy's brows drew together, eyes welling up at the sudden pain all over his body. Hundreds upon hundreds of lacerations covered him, each stinging as Sora twisted to look at Silintia. The elf was in a similar state of disarray; her white robes ripped and bloody, her hair falling out of its bun in a tangled mass.

They looked like hell.

"What is it?" Silintia asked, sounding much too concerned for someone who had once threatened to incinerate the boy in front of her.

Sora shrugged away from her helpful hands, looking down in dismay at his pants. They were practically in shreds, and his shirt probably wasn't much better… he could feel the nighttime breeze drafting through it. "We're really ripped up, aren't we?" he asked, pulling at the pieces of his jacket. "Usually when I fight heartless they don't even touch me. I'm not used to so many…"

"You've fought those things before?" Silintia grabbed Sora by the shoulders without thinking, turning him to face her rather forcefully. "Those heartless things? I've never even seen them in my life! What are they?"

The brunet winced as his captor shook him, the wounds covering his body making him yelp. Silintia took notice of this, her white eyebrows winding together as she gingerly let go of him. "Sorry," she mumbled, "You can explain later. First we should get you back to camp and get you patched up…"

Sora went rigid, muscles tensing as his head snapped up. "I'm not going back," he said incredulously, eyes narrowing. "Are you crazy? I did not run all the way out here, get attacked by heartless, _save you_, just to-"

"Sorry," Silintia mumbled, pressing her palm suddenly to the boy's forehead. A small flash of light ignited there and made sitting up seem to suddenly require all of Sora's attention.

"What…" Sora woozily looked at the elf, his vision going fuzzy.

The boy went limp, muscles turning to mush as he fell forward against Silintia. The woman caught him, wrapping her arms around his torso and pressing her face into his brown spikes. His body was involuntarily twitching, and Silintia embraced him more forcefully to soothe it. "You'll be okay," She whispered against his hair, pale hands running down his back as he continued to shudder. "Everything is okay…"

Sora finally lost consciousness, cerulean eyes unwillingly sliding shut. Silintia straightened, lacing one arm behind the boy's back and the other under his flaccid legs. The elf hurled him up, bracing him against her upper body as she struggled to keep balance. The wounds covering her body itched, but they weren't nearly as bad as Sora's. Silintia sighed, shifting him in her arms slightly before trekking back to camp.

* * *

Sora woke up to Silintia speaking, her voice lacking its characteristic harshness as she urged him to drink from the vial she was forcing between his lips. The boy gagged, liquid going up his nose from the shock of waking up.

"Oh-ugh! W-what?" the brunet shook his head, looking around deftly. They were back at the camp, the night sky still a light purple while the fire crackled off to his right. Silintia was crouching in front of him, knees buried in the sand and a surprised expression marring her features. "You!" he yelled, moving to point accusingly at the woman and instead finding that his hands were bound behind his back. Shocked, and more than a little hurt, Sora glared. "What did you do to me back there?!" he screeched, struggling against his binds even though it aggravated his wounds.

Soft hands stilled his arms, "Stop it," said Silintia, making Sora struggle even harder. She tightened her grip, nails digging into one of the scratches on the boy's upper arm. "You're not going to break them, they're magically bound. You're just going to hurt yourself…"

"Oh, and it's not like you're hurting me." Sora said, childish obstinacy making him continue to twist his wrists. The nails on his arm dug deeper, finally making the boy go still. "I can't _believe_ you," he whispered, looking across the fire and spying Morphinia's sleeping form. _She slept through all of that?_ He marveled, turning back to the woman before him. "I saved your life, and you go and tie me up. That's got to be the most ungratef-"

"I am very grateful, Sora. Please drink this." Silintia cut him off, forcing his vial between his lips again.

This time the boy was ready, allowing the hand behind his head to keep him steady as he swallowed the liquid. "Healing potion?" he asked, feeling the fluid go to work at once. The capillaries in his lacerations fused back together, skin grafting into place as the warm feeling that always accompanied a health potion bubbled in Sora's stomach and made his head spin. "Doesn't that sort of set you back a bit in the whole 'killing me' department?" he asked, head lulling forward when Silintia removed her hand and shifted away from him.

"I do not want to kill you…" She was staring into the fire, skin already smooth and wound-free.

"Well," Sora rolled his wrists again, the initial head-rush he got from drinking the potion wearing off. "You could've fooled me."

Silintia finally bothered looking at him, her onyx eyes a bit watery. "I don't. I mean it when I say I am grateful. In fact, I'm indebted to you for my life." The mage moved over to her charge, settling in the sand near him and crossing her legs. "I simply cannot pay that debt in the way you wish me to. I was ordered to bring you to Thrall, and my orders come before my life, or my honor."

Sora didn't reply. He only sighed, letting his body lag to the side before dropping like a sack of bricks into the sand. The elf beside him looked away, soft fingers rubbing circles into her temples. After a moment of hesitation she stood, eyes staying off to the horizon. "Thanks again. Too bad you really haven't changed anything." Silintia crossed their make-shift campsite and settled down near Morphinia, who was sprawled on her back and mumbling incoherently. When the white-haired elf spoke again her words were callused, as if she had already lost all sympathy and gratitude towards Sora.

"Goodnight. If you try to escape again I will kill you."

After that Sora was much too cold to sleep, and Silintia stayed awake stoking the fire.

* * *

**Note:** I feel a bit bad for Silintia. Elves on a whole are a very prideful race, very bound to duty. From what I see, she wants to repay her debt to Sora, but simply can't because once set on a mission she must see it through. Anyways, Morphinia is win. I've always adored her, but I really enjoy writing her exchanges with Sora. It occurred to me she and Silintia have a good cop bad cop thing going on... haha. When I decided to put them into the WoW world I was more planning to have them both be friendly Donald and Goofy replacements (because Sora can't get two feet without someone's help), then they sort of took on a personality of their on.

Anyways…

All the cool kids are reviewing. ;D


	4. World of Warcraft 3

**A/N:** I hated writing this chapter. It took the longest time to make it flow, and even now I'm not totally satisfied with it. Also, reading over it, I realize Sora is becoming quite the sourpuss. Apparently captivity does not sit well with our young uke-san. Haha. Oh! Also, this chapter contains Orcish. Anything written in it is not really that important, but translations will be down in the bottom notes if you're curious.

_Up Ahead- Mean Morphinias, a hungry-hungry-harpy, and another life debt!_

**Through the Looking Glass**

Chapter Four

---

The next day was uneventful, except to note that sometime during the night Sora had actually managed to fall asleep… only to be woken up by the sound of a gigantic axe crashing down next to his head and Morphinia screaming about how she should decapitate him.

The boy allowed himself to be wrenched from the ground, cringing as his shirt ripped even more than it already was. He tried to shield his eyes from the glaring sun, but found his wrists were still bound behind him. Sand wedged under the binds and grated against his skin, and Sora knew the area would be rubbed raw by the time they were removed.

"I don't really care what you say anymore," he muttered lowly, not gracing the angered elf with even a glance. "You're supposed to bring me there alive. I'm done being scared of you."

Morphinia's jaw went slack for a moment, and she found herself at a loss for words. So instead of speaking, the elf angrily shoved Sora back. She watched in amusement as the boy stumbled backwards into the sand, his back making a hollow _thunk_ as the substance billowed up around his disheveled form. Morphinia didn't waste any time in throwing her axes to the side and literally pouncing her fallen target, hoisting him up by the hem of his ruined shirt and whispering menacingly, "Dead and unconscious are two very different things."

"Well if you want to carry me all the way, be my gue-"

Sora was cut off by Morphinia's fist, which seemingly came out of the blue and connected solidly with his cheek. Eyes welling, the brunet's head snapped back and to the side where it lagged. The elf above felt no remorse as she pushed the dazed boy back into the sand and furiously clamped her hand over his mouth before he could cry out.

"Listen here, and listen good, _human_. You're right, I won't kill you. But you're my captive and I can do whatever else I want to you until I hand you over to death himself. _Thrall_. Don't talk to me like you have something to live for. Don't talk like there isn't fear deep in your core, because I can smell it on you, and it reeks." The blonde paused, pushing forcefully down with her palm and making Sora's eyes widen. Morphinia wet her wind-struck lips and finally seemed satisfied, gingerly removing her hand from her captive's mouth. "It would be best if you reflected over your life while it is still yours."

The elf stood and moved quickly away from Sora, instead opting to stand strong at Silintia's side. The mage had been watching the entire spectacle with a stony expression, and only now, as Morphinia threw her gear into place and angrily stumbled into the wind, did she even grace Sora's gaze with her own. A twisted smile wove onto her features. "I guess whatever seeds of companionship you planted yesterday died the moment you tried to escape," she whispered, the strong wind taking the words from her lips to Sora's ears.

And that was how things came to be; Silintia leading the group, Morphinia following in the back, and Sora stuck in the middle wondering how anyone could be so ungrateful.

* * *

A few hours of walking later, Sora saw the wispy beginnings of a mirage on the horizon. Not too long after he realized the images of a hulking structure and wrought-iron gates were not his imagination. Behind him he heard Morphinia's gleeful voice shouting, "Razor Hill! It has been far too long!" Silintia looked back at her friend and smiled, cobalt eyes icing over Sora as if he was not there.

"It will be good to see the troops again." She said, smiling genuinely.

"So good," Morphinia agreed, opting to scurry forward and walk with her friend (but not before grabbing Sora roughly by the arm and dragging him with her).

Eventually the group got close enough to this 'Razor Hill' to see clearly. Sora tried to soak in even detail, from the wooden stakes lined before the gate to the large building sitting loftily atop a large hill not far away. He eyed the bloodstains on the crooked wooden sign off to the left warily; the town's name was etched in the wood of it and on the ground there was a trademark pile of skulls.

Calloused to the brutality, Sora simply let his eyes wander back to the gate. Two orcs were standing guard, leaning against large halberds and chattering amicably in a language Sora couldn't understand. Silintia cleared her throat, motioning for Morphinia to stay behind with their charge while she approached the guards. The two quickly shifted into a more professional position when the mage approached, looking mildly ashamed at their lax behavior.

"Ma'am!" The orc on the left shouted, nodding at the woman in surprise.

Silintia stopped in her tracks, lofting her hip to one side and sighing. "Grunts… good to see you made it out of training alive."

"Thanks to you!" gushed the right orc.

The elf smiled warmly, making Sora feel uncomfortable. Why was she so quick to be kind to anyone but him? "Right, well, I need passage. Morphinia and I are transporting a captive to Orgrimmar."

One of the two orcs shifted, glancing behind Silintia. "The human? Why prolong his execution?"

"That is… confidential. We have passports, should you need them."

"No ma'am," replied the orc. "No need. Hurkk?" The other orc paused, before opening its leathery mouth and bellowing,

"OPEN THE GATES!"

For a moment nothing happened. Then, just when Silintia sighed impatiently, the entrance began to shudder. A crack of light split the gateway, and Sora could see two hulking figures struggling to force to two doors apart.

The boy squinted, shielding his eyes and taking an unconscious step back. Morphinia snarled, gripping his upper arm tightly and thrusting him forward. Sora let out a high-pitched yelp, stumbling behind Silintia and through the gates. In front of him sprawled a small town, bustling with many large orcs all moving in perfectly symmetrical lines. They appeared to be in some sort of military camp. The bustle of the troops made Sora's head spin, and Morphinia took advantage of his daze. The blonde shoved him forward further, forcing him next to one of the orcs that had opened the gates.

"Where do you store prisoners here?" she asked callously, tightening her grip.

The guard looked confused. "I was under the impression you were just passing through?"

"We are," Silintia interjected, shuffling past the group and pulling out her staff. The elf leaned against it, looking mildly bored. "But we're stopping by the tavern to eat, and being around this human is tiring. I'm tired of even looking at him." She turned, took a few steps away, and then stopped. "By the way," she called over her should, "You should chain his arms. I think he can conjure weapons."

"The chains we can provide," muttered the orc, more to Morphinia than her friend. "But our cells are under renovation. Two nights ago there was a mass breakout… we're still fixing the damage."

"Was anyone hurt?" Morphinia questioned, instantly dropping Sora's arm and touching the orc's shoulder. It was quite a feat, considering the monster in question towered over her small form and was fitted with spiked shoulder pads.

"No," he replied, sounding much too gentle. "It was odd though. We actually had undead imprisoned for reckless behavior. They rallied together and broke out. Mercenaries, I guess…" The two were silent a moment, until the spell was broken by the sun's arrival in the middle of the sky. The winds ceased, and took with them the amicable moment. "Shall I fit him with proper restraints and drop him off at the inn for you?" asked the guard, gripping Sora in the exact same way Morphinia did.

The elf nodded, looking unsurely at Sora for a moment before turning to his new captor. "For the Horde!" the orc grunted, slamming his free fist against his breastplate.

"For the Horde," Morphinia echoed, mirroring his movement. She turned swiftly and scurried after Silintia, disappearing into the hulking structure Sora had first seen. The boy stared after her dejectedly, lagging next to the guard and feeling deflated. The crushing grip on his arm was released as the oafish orc proceeded to slam the gates closed. Sora marveled at the show of strength, feeling slightly envious of the rippling muscles that pulled taunt under the monster's leathery jade skin.

"Come on," sighed the orc, replacing his grip on Sora's arm. The boy struggled a bit, but was quickly subdued by a sharp glare from the guard. "Now there's no point in that, boy."

Sora grumbled, allowing himself to be dragged across a well-packed sand path. The two stumbled into a large building, the structure bustling with many other orcs. They all spoke in the guttural language that Sora couldn't understand. No one seemed to notice or care about the boy's arrival, and it wasn't until Sora's new captor addressed one of the other orcs that any of the subordinates even glanced at him.

"Wliri ari tli qlaemz?" barked out the gate-guard, looking blandly at an orc not too far away. The orc was in the process of slipping into a breastplate, and seemed mildly surprised.

"Wly..?" it drawled, tilting its head.

The guard paused, "Tli lunam. Lurry, E'n hiavemg."

"Tliy'ri em tli baqk," replied the other orc, sliding its breastplate over its head and gesturing to the back of the dimly lit room. "E'hh zlow."

They followed the monster in that direction, Sora ignoring the inquisitive stares he received. The orcs chattered among themselves, leaving the boy blissfully unaware of what they spoke of. "Liri," mumbled the orc, pointing to a large metal box. Sora felt a lump form in his throat; almost sure he did not want to know what was inside.

"Tlamkz," said the gate-guard, waving his three-fingered hand off behind him. His subordinate took the hint and left, leaving Sora alone with the guard and the box. The orc wasted no time, lifting the lid off of the box and removing a string of heavy looking chains. He motioned for the boy to turn around, and Sora did so obediently. The cold bite of the chains sent shivers down his spine, making Sora gulp. Behind him, the orc wrapped the chains around his crossed wrists, locking them securely with a light _click_.

Quickly a sheet of rough material covered the boy's eyes, efficiently blocking his view of the outside world. "What-" Sora started, angling his head back in the direction of the grunt. He stopped short though, instead opting to turn his head back to the front and face whatever else would come.

"Qoni om," ordered the guard, gripping the chains. When Sora did not reply the orc shoved at him, muttering a quick, "I forgot you do not speak orcish. I said, 'come on'."

Together they exited the compound, Sora walking blindly. Tight fear coiled in the keyblade master's gut; walking while sightless did not sit well with him. The brightness of the sun was visible through the cloth though, making Sora squint and attempt to make out the shadows of objects around him. Quickly enough the two entered another building, the heat of the day extinguished as the sun disappeared behind a dark roof. The room they entered was loud, smelling of smoke and cooking meat.

Outside of Sora's solitary confinement, Silintia and Morphinia sat together. They watched the gate-guard enter the tavern, bringing with him a bound and blinded Sora. The boy seemed dazed; stumbling and looking about deftly as if he expected to see should he try hard enough. The two elves went back to their meals, Morphinia munching solemnly on a turkey leg while Silintia ripped desperately at a stale chunk of bread.

"I'm not really hungry," mused Morphinia over a mouthful of meat.

Silintia blanched; the side of her mouth ticking as she turned away and motioned at the guard. He crossed the room quickly, leaving Sora stranded a few feet away from the group's table. "Would you like us to buy you a drink, G'wark?" She questioned, setting the hard bread down on her plate.

"No, that's fine," replied the orc. "I must be getting back to my post. I did as you asked, though. He's chained, and I added a blindfold in case there was anything you didn't want him to see.."

The elf inspected Sora from her seat. "You do too much," she laughed. "He has not seen anything. There's nothing to worry about, even if he did manage to escape and return to those alliance nuisances."

A moment of silence passed, one in which Sora strained his ears intensely. "You mean…" started the orc, voice almost a whisper.

"Yeah."

Sora heard Morphinia laugh distantly. "We are not new to the transportation of captives, G'wark."

No more was said in the group. Instead G'wark muttered something soft and unintelligible in his native language, and then turned to leave. Once the orc was gone Silintia lumbered out of her seat, drifting over to where Sora stood awkwardly and planting herself behind him. "There is no need for this," she whispered, letting her lips brush the outer shell of his ear. The boy shivered, feeling limber fingers work at the knot that held his blindfold in place. After a moment the cloth fell, revealing a dimly lit room filled with many hulking orcs. Morphinia sat just before him at a small wooden table, her features lit by the candle that adorned it.

"Are we going to feed him?" she asked, leaning awkwardly on her palm. "Sort of a… last meal?"

Sora felt sick when the blonde began to laugh. "No point," Silintia said from behind him, now a comfortable distance away. "It's a waste of money. I'm guessing…" the elf lumbered past Sora, coming to a stop at the table. "That you don't want to finish your food?"

"Not really."

"Then leave some gold, and we should be on our way." Silintia didn't wait for Morphinia to respond, instead wandering back behind Sora and gripping his forearm. "We're wasting daylight," she mumbled, dragging the boy backwards. Sora stumbled, unused to moving so awkwardly. He let the elf guide him, opting to stare desolately around the room. Many orcs watched him; their beady eyes reflecting the faint candlelight in the bar and a distant distaste for the smell of human.

Once outside, the brightness of day burned fiercely against Sora's retinas. The boy blinked rapidly, squinting and attempting to adjust his eyesight. He was not used to being able to see, and the combined effect of disorientation and the sudden return of his eyesight left Sora weakened. The boy tipped backward, stumbling against Silintia's back and almost taking the elf down.

"Ahh…" he groaned, quickly shambling back to his feet. The mage behind him pursed her lips, shifting her grasp on Sora's arm so that she had more control of him. She flexed her fingers uneasily before giving her charge a soft shove into the middle of the street, never once losing her grip. Morphinia lagged behind the two, hands clasped behind her head while she deftly inspected the afternoon sky.

"It just occurred to me that we only really have an hour, hour and a half tops, left until we get to Orgrimmar…" she mused, plated boots puffing up sand as she ambled lethargically behind her companions.

The group moved as a single entity, quickly passing through the small training camp before arriving at a set of wrought-iron gates behind which what appeared to be a small canyon of sorts sprouted. Guards were already shifting the hefty gates open, moving slowly in the afternoon heat.

Sweat trickled from Sora's brow as he inspected the path before him. It was made of tightly packed sand from which grew an occasional shrub, was littered with small black creatures that scuttled out of cracks in the planet's surface, and of course most notably it led into a hulking set of canyon walls that quite suddenly sprung vertically from the ground a mere fifty feet ahead. Each wall curved inwards slightly, casting menacing shadows into the crevice below. Sora found himself hesitant to proceed, but the incessant digging of Silintia's nails into his upper arm proved to be motivation enough to urge the boy forward.

Uncomfortably, the group stopped just before the gate. Silintia wet her lips and chanced a glance at the scalding sun; "Thank you for being so gracious," she said, addressing one of the Orcs holding the gate. It nodded, showing none of the hardship that it underwent whilst holding the gate open.

"You are well respected in this camp; amongst the entire Horde. Resupplying you or helping in whatever way possible… it was the least we could do. Travel well," it said, bowing its head slightly.

"Yes, thank you..." Silintia gently pressed her fist to her chest, "For the Horde," she murmured, tightening her grip on Sora's arm and stepping forward, ignoring the Orc's mirroring of her movements. Behind him, Sora heard Morphinia chant the same thing. The sound of her boots crunching through the sand was a reminder that the keyblade master could not run backwards, and Silintia's ever menacing presence at his side effectively kept him in place.

The huge gates slammed behind them, puffs of sand sprinkling over Sora's back like rain. He twitched, unconsciously pulling against Silintia's arm. The elf pinned him with a death glare, dragging him forward effortlessly into the dark depths of the canyon before them. A menacing wind ruffled the brunet's gravity defiant spikes, sending prickly shivers down his spine. "You know, I don't think it's normal for canyons to just spring up like this…" Sora murmured just as they stepped into the shadows of the crevice.

"Aww," Morphinia scowled in mock sympathy, "Is the little human scared?"

Scathe to admit it, Sora whipped his head to the front and stared hard at the path before him. It felt like the group was already miles from the camp, the ominous presence of the Orc Grunts gone but replaced with something deeper, something Sora couldn't place. He could feel the tension though, and knew that there was something Silintia and Morphinia were not telling him.

The white-haired elf was holding Sora much closer now, not in fear but almost as if she expected to be attacked. Morphinia followed suit, following inches behind the two with her hand curled expectantly on the hilt of her axe.

As they walked, Sora felt farther and farther from the camp. He chanced a glance back, and to his surprise the gates of Razor Hill were no longer visible. "There is no way we have walked that far," he said, looking helplessly back at Silintia. "What's going on?" he asked, and at the same moment lurched forward over something on the ground. The death grip on his arm failed, and Sora plummeted into the sand.

"Ohh, oww," the boy groaned, gripping his knee. He searched the sand, looking for whatever object he had tripped over. Sora eyed a large white object, smooth and half-buried in the sand. "What is that..?"

Morphinia bent, her armor squeaking as she did so. Gloved hands wrapped around the object, pulling it roughly from the ground. She inspected it briefly before throwing it off to the side. "It's only a bone," she muttered, as if huge bones were of no interest to her at all.

"_Only_… right," Sora laughed half-heartedly, feeling almost companionable with Morphinia again.

The moment ended abruptly when Silintia ripped the boy off of the ground. "We really don't have time to sit around," she griped, sending a scalding look Morphinia's way.

"You're right," the blonde mumbled, looking as if she had just been greatly chastised.

Tension was malleable between the two Elven women, like sparks through the air. They did not seem angry at each other, though. Sora was greatly confused by the moment, and even more lost when it passed and Morphinia broke into a smile. "Shall we?" she said, adjusting her axes and winking at her friend.

"…Yes," Silintia nodded, wrapping her strong hands around Sora's upper arm and beginning to pull him forward.

The keyblade master allowed himself to be hauled a few feet, mind still mulling over whatever had just transpired before him, until he jerked away from Silintia's grip and glared at the mage.  
"You still haven't told me what is going on here! I'm confused, where is the camp?" Sora motioned behind himself, the canyon walls stretching as far as the eye could see. "Why are you and Morphinia acting strange? I know I'm just a lowly little human, but I deserve.." the brunet trailed off, staring hazily over Silintia's shoulder.

"I deserve.."

Something was definitely wrong. Sora's vision was blurring, a warm sensation working up the back of his neck.

"I deserve to know what that is," he groaned, legs turning to jelly. The boy wavered, pointing a woozy finger to the space behind Silintia. Both elves diverted their attention from Sora, turning instead to stare in surprise at the strange figure floating behind them.

The creature was suspended in mid air, a translucent crimson glow about it. A long cerulean tail made up its lower body, whipping about violently above the sand. Scales glinted in the shadows, catching obscure sunlight and blinding Morphinia for a moment. The elf looked away, at the same moment feeling an uncontrollable urge to inspect the creature more.

"I can't…" Silintia dropped to the ground, gripping her side in agony. "It's casting something to deflect magic users," she groaned, reaching out protectively towards Sora.

Morphinia remained immobile, her mouth going dry as she drank in every detail of the being before her. Its upper body was that of a supple woman, with long blond curls and large breasts. The wind picked up, obscuring the creature's facial features behind flowing locks of hair. It stared out from behind dark emerald eyes, majestically raising one arm and reaching out towards the blonde elf. The axe wielder watched in awe, stunned to silence by the grotesque joints in the figure's forearm. The skin there was covered in sapphire scales, much like its lower body, and its fingers twisted into mangled talons where they sprouted from the being's hand.

"Don't fall victim," Silintia called from the ground, clutching desperately to the now fallen Sora. "It's trying to cast a spell on you, to confuse you… please Morphinia, you aren't a mage… you can overcome it. Just.." the elf seemed to be growing hazy, having issues keeping herself awake. "Try to see it for what it really is!"

Silintia's desperate pleas awakened something deep within Morphinia. The elf blinked a few times, and then the haze of illusion seemed to dissipate. Finally, she could see the creature for what it truly was: a monster. The wind calmed, causing the creature's lush hair to fall limp and reveal ugly, distorted features. Long, shape teeth protruded from its lips, skin a pallid expanse that stretched awkwardly over its bones. The figure's ribs jutted out something terrible, and finally Morphinia could see its reason for attacking.

_It wanted to eat them._

The elf puffed, slowly reaching around to the hilts of her axes. They slid off of her back easily, sharp blades clinking together with menace. Morphinia easily readied herself, cockily raising her chin and meeting the monster's gaze with her own. "That's an interesting little trick you have there, I've got to say. Too bad it won't work on me…" Raising one shoulder, the elf smiled crookedly and winked. "How do you feel about steel?"

Before her, the monster tilted its head. The ethereal glow around it became more vibrant, as if it was responding to Morphinia's threat. It retracted its scaled arm, talons gyrating fiercely in anticipation. Not one to disappoint, the small elf smiled manically, rolling her right wrist and inspecting her axe.

A heartbeat later she struck, whipping the axe back and hurling it towards the creature with disbandment. "I will _crush_ you!" she cried, adrenalin pumping wildly as the elf charged forward, left hand swinging up.

Somewhat surprised, the creature lurched to the side. Morphinia's thrown axe hit the sand harmlessly, spinning off in a dust cloud. The elf hardly noticed, instead rushing to the monster's side and thrashing wildly with the axe in her left hand. On the ground, Silintia finally had fallen unconscious and next to her Sora was seeing double. The brunet blanched, trying to keep up with the flurry of movements going on in front of him.

"Watch out!" he cried, eyes tricking him into seeing the monster off to the right. Morphinia glanced, and yelped when the creature slashed its claws across her cheek.

"Are you kidding, Sora?" the elf lurched backwards to avoid being hit, "Don't help if you can't see!"

Morphinia easily threw herself back into battle, leaving a thoroughly chastised Sora to mope helplessly on the ground. Blood splattered onto his face, accompanied by the creature's sharp howl and Morphinia's crazed laughing. "It never gets old!" she sang gleefully, hopping up in mid air and slamming her metal-clad foot into the monster's chest. The elf landed lightly on the ground, observing happily as her foe slammed into the canyon wall.

"You wouldn't want to eat me anyways," she smiled, "I'm just empty carbs."

The elf scooped her fallen axe off of the ground, turning her back to the struggling monster. Morphinia cockily inspected the weapon, blowing the sand off of it with a quick breath. She did not see the creature lumber away from the wall; did not hear the energy ball forming in its mangled palm.

"Morph-" Sora started, only to be cut off by the elf herself.

"What did I say about helping?" the axe wielder complained, pinning the boy with a sharp glare.

Sora blanched, "Behind you!"

Morphinia turned just in time to take a crackling, purple ball of energy to the chest. She heaved, flying backwards into the sharp canyon wall. Sand puffed out around her, the elf sliding to the ground limply along with the loose rocks and soil her impact shifted.

For a moment she felt weightless, woozily watching the figure float closer to her. Her head lulled, eyes flickering closed for the briefest of seconds. "Silintia…" she croaked, gloved fingers fisting in the sand.

A figure crashed into the hulking monster, throwing it backwards onto the ground.

"Silintia..?" her vision temporarily impaired, all Morphinia could do was squint through the sand and hope her life-long friend had somehow awoken and decided to save their lives. Alas, it was no so. A quick glance to the right was all it took for the blonde elf to see her friend's fallen form, convulsing rapidly on the ground.

That meant someone else had decided to save her.

Morphinia grimaced, shamed momentarily. "…Sora?" she called, almost hoping that someone else had appeared and tackled the monster. Someone who was not her prisoner; someone she hadn't condemned to death in the last two hours.

_Damn it,_ the elf cursed inwardly. _That boy is good at making me feel like shit. _

Across the canyon, a mere few feet away, Sora was sitting atop a very angry, very red, being. Still drowsy, he could only wobble in his spot and pray Morphinia would make a quick recovery. The monster seemed to be struggling as well, obviously not used to being in such close proximity to the ground. It writhed in the sand, long tail whipping back and forth wildly. One awkwardly bent arm came thrashing down Sora's backside, permeating both his jacket and undershirt. The boy cried out, feeling his skin break and blood begin its slow trail to the small of his back.

"Dear god," he muttered, focusing with all his might. Sora shifted in his chains, grimacing. His eyes locked with the dark emeralds below him, and suddenly the pulsing in his brain intensified. A sharp pain laced through his thigh, the monster's long talons gouging there as it gripped the boy and tried to dislodge him.

Sora held tight with his thighs, ignoring the twisted nails as they traveled through his muscle. Tears spilled from the brunet's eyes, sand grating against his knees while he blubbered uselessly.

From where she sat, Morphinia could see all of this clearly. Slowly her vision returned to her, and she found a seeping wetness on the back of her skull. Blood dotted on her fingers, but the axe wielder paid it no mind. She struggled to her feet, dropping both of her stainless steel weapons in the process.

"I'm getting really tired of you," she muttered, gaining both the attention of the monster and the boy atop it.

Sora looked relieved, his shoulders sagging. "Thank god," he cried, dropping to the side and off of the creature like a bag of bricks. The boy curled in on himself, bloody thighs pressed soundly against his tattered shirt.

Morphinia rolled her neck, pleased by the gratifying _pop_ that sounded from her vertebrae. The monster seemed at a loss, unsure as to which person it should attack now. It regarded Sora longingly, obviously wishing to consume the boy as he withered in the sand. At the same time, it was intelligent enough to see the threat the small elf posed, her weapons discarded but still in immediate reach.

Finally the creature made its decision, eyes locking on Morphinia with finesse. It gurgled, skin seeping a purple liquid from the many places it had been harmed in their previous run in. Mangled arms lifted it up off of the ground, returning the monster to its floating position in the air.

In its left hand the air became distorted, purple energy slowly twisting itself into a ball. Still Morphinia did not react; she watched blankly as the creature's magic energy flared. Finally, just as the monster drew its arm back, the elf responded.

Head cocked to the side, and sweet smile drew onto the blonde's features. "Not this time," she said, sounding excited.

Morphinia raised up her right arm, hand spreading wide open. Her armor creaked, the steel moaning under unusual pressure. For a moment everything went still, an intense silence falling over the canyon. The crackling of the energy ball died away, Sora ceased his whimpering, and Silintia finally laid still in the sand.

The creature dropped its arm, its aura disappearing altogether.

A strange calm fell over the group. Sora could finally think clearly, mind and magic no longer impaired by the creature's foreign spell. The brunet uncurled, wincing at his deep wounds as he did so. He surveyed the scene in front of him, eyebrows drawing together in confusion. Still floating in the air, the monster seemed to be frozen in time. In front of it, Morphinia had her palm spread and a sick smile twisting her features.

"What's going on..?" the boy asked, struggling to his feet and rolling his chained wrists.

"This," Morphinia started, "is my power. It cannot be controlled, because it is not magic. It is, simply, The Gift." She paused, flexing her fingers. "Watch."

Suddenly, the monster swung around. It shuddered, before raising one arm and waving it at Sora. A silly expression bled onto its face, the skin there shifting and stretching until it could blow raspberries at the boy before it. "That's so cool," Sora murmured, leaning close to the monster and inspecting it. The cuts on his back stung, but he ignored the pain and instead studied the creature's face. The skin there looked cold and leathery, making the boy grimace and lean away.

"That's not cool," Morphinia laughed. "This is cool."

The creature leaned away from Sora, pumping its head back and forth for a moment before raising both arms to its chest. Its talons rested against the skin of its bosom for a moment, seeming almost peaceful there in the shadows.

Then, suddenly, the blonde elf wrenched her fingers and before them the talons dug in. Sora stepped back, aghast as the creature continually buried its nails into its breast, ripping and tearing the skin away. Amethyst blood oozed from its chest cavity, the monster showing no pain at all as it dug the muscle away from its body and revealed twisted, white ribs.

"Stop! You're hurting it!" Sora rushed to Morphinia's side, but the elf did not spare him a glance. The creature was unfazed, instead digging its left hand into its sternum, pulling fiercely at the bone until it became dislodged. Liquid and bone splattered to the ground, making the sand into a thick mud that Sora shied away from. Tears unconsciously rushed down the boy's cheeks, a sob caught in his throat. They could see the being's heart now, beating helplessly in the cavity Morphinia had hollowed.

The elf finally glanced down at her companion. "Do you see why I should have been killed at birth?"

Before them, the monster cupped its own heart. A sad expression marred the being's features, and for a moment it locked eyes with Sora. The boy glanced away. "You sick," he mumbled, knowing the elf had done that just for him.

"Yes, I am."

The monster ripped its heart out, holding it out for inspection. A moment later it dropped to the ground, dead.

"I am truly sick." Morphinia dropped her hand, fisting it unconsciously as she meandered over to Silintia's side. "It's time to wake up, Silly-One."

As if on cue, Silintia jerked up off of the ground. Her hand followed suit, rubbing a soothing circle against her temple. Onyx eyes wandered over the scene, cold and calculating. "You should not have used that power," the mage whispered, sucking her lower lip into her mouth and worrying it. She glanced at Sora, and her expression softened. "He looks like hell."

Both elves laughed, Morphinia dropping down to one knee and pulling the pack off of her back. "We've gone through a lot of healing potions just to transport a human," she muttered, pulling out a large vial of the bubbling red liquid. The blonde took a deep swig from it, the three slices on her cheek fusing together immediately after. She dabbed at the back of her skull before looking pleased and offering the drink to Sora.

A few feet away, the boy did not move to take it. He stayed still; arms secure behind his back, and watched the elf with a look of frustration.

"Take it," Silintia ordered, stumbling to her feet and dusting her ruined robes off. "You're beat up badly… did it attack you?"

Morphinia clenched the bottle, looking away. "He attacked it," she said.

"What?" The mage stared at Sora, looking confused. "Why would you do that? Did you not realize that the weapon you use is summoned magically, and therefore suppressed by that monster's spell? And, you're chained!"

"Obviously," Sora muttered, bitter distaste apparent on his face.

Morphinia looked torn, the half-emptied bottle cupped uselessly in her palm. She stood slowly, her armor groaning at the knees as she did so, and slung the group's pack over her shoulder. Sullenly, the elf wandered over to Sora. Once in front of him, she pressed the bottle against his lips. "He was trying to save me…" she murmured, face blank. "Tell me Sora," the blonde started, staring down the canyon's path.

"How many life-debts will you put on us?"

Silintia was off the ground in a second, flying to Morphinia's side and wrenching her away from the boy. "Don't," she said forcefully, white brows drawing together. "We have our orders, and you know as well as I do they come before pride. Don't you dare make that pact with him; it will only complicate things in the end."

"But Silintia! He has saved both of our lives! That's two, two debts owed to him. How can we not? What type of soldiers are we?" Morphinia looked pitiful, neck craned up so she could stare into the onyx eyes of her best friend.

Silintia paused, gulping. "The type that are loyal to their country above all else."

* * *

**Note:** D'aw. Don't you love Sora? He's so sweet, even caring about the well being of a common monster. Anyways, to avoid confusion, they aren't talking about some super-secret pact or something. Just generally how now both Silintia and Morphinia owe their lives to Sora. Longer chapters on the horizon!

Review? Please? So many people watch the story but not much feedback. :(

**Translations: **

"Where are the chains?"

"Why?"

"The human. Hurry, I'm leaving..."

"They're in the back, I'll show." ... "Here."

"Thanks."

Want to see Riku in the next chapter? Review.


	5. World of Warcraft 4

**A/N: **Don't blink or you'll miss Riku! Yes, he actually shows up for the briefest of moments. And I mean, so-brief-if-you-skim-it-you'll-miss-it brief. But yeah, he's there. Side note? This chapter and I don't get along. It's mad because I said some stuff behind its back, so now it's just being difficult.

_Up Ahead- Little Orcs, the Doom of Thrall, and Sora finally getting some god-damn recognition!_

**Through the Looking Glass**

Chapter Five

---

Twenty minutes of walking later found the group wandering out of the canyon's hulking shadows. Sora breathed a sigh of relief, rolling his bound wrists and staring hard at Morphinia's back. The blonde elf had succumb to her friend's wishes, sparing Sora no attention as they meandered listlessly out of the crevice.

Shoes grinding in the sand, the boy sighed deeply. The sun beat down on his neck, beads of sweat gathering at the hem of his shirt and dripping down his potion-healed back. His clothes were in tatters now, ruined first from his strange battle with the heartless and then from that monster. It was like this entire world was out to get him. Sora found himself sighing again, something he had never done in the past which was quickly becoming a habit.

The area the group walked through now was not as lifeless as the Barrens. The sand here was well packed and caked, cracks seeping out through the open terrain. An occasional bush supplied shade to wandering creatures, and the sun rested high in the orange sky as if it was being held there by an invisible string. There was something lazy about that image; it brought forth an old memory of Riku resting on his usually palm tree as if he had no bones. The boy smiled, suddenly overwhelmed with a longing for the old times when things were simpler.

He was startled from his reverie by a voice.

"I can see it now…" murmured Silintia, glancing back towards Sora. The brunet was busying himself with staring at his shoes, feeling dejected by Morphinia's cold shoulder.

Before the group stood the Orcish capitol of Orgrimmar, positioned tall in the sand. Sora inspected it, dragging his feet on the ground unconsciously to put off their arrival. The walls were high and strong. They leapt into the sky and were made from huge, sturdy rocks and splintering old wood. A hulking wooden tower loomed to the side, small specks of what Sora assumed were Orcs patrolling below it.

A huge arc stood open in the middle of the structure, guards posted on each side with large halberds and shining armor. Large spikes led up to the entryway, sprouting menacingly from the ground and standing higher than Sora did.

What jumped out most to Sora was the red flag hanging down the structure's walls. He childishly wondered if it had been dyed in blood; something like that he wouldn't put past these people. After all, they'd submitted him to two straight days of uncivil brutality and mistrust. Him, off all people… Sora couldn't figure it out.

"Nice," he muttered, trying to seem uninterested. He didn't want either of the women with him to look at him with their ascertaining eyes, because he knew they'd see right through him.

He needed to get away from them, and soon.

As the group approached the guards before them rose to attention. These guards were not like the ones at Razor Hill; their faces were unfriendly and stoic, devoid of any recognition. "Have your passports ready!" one guard bellowed towards the group, still far off from the entrance. Morphinia pulled the pack off of her back, rummaging around in it for a moment before producing two small cards. She handed one to Silintia and kept the other for herself, gloved fingers clinging to it gently.

Finally reaching the entrance, Morphinia offered up her passport without a word. The guard on the left took it, inspecting the paper distantly before handing it back to the elf. "Tlez wehh jo... tli wleti-laer?" the orc turned to Silintia, hand outstretched.

The mage handed over her papers, wetting her lips as she did so. Nodding, the guard looked it over briefly before giving it back, beady eyes locking onto Sora. "Amj len?" it asked, looking expectantly at the two women.

"Oh, he's a hostage," Morphinia said hastily, forgetting to speak in the guttural language she usually spoke in around Orcs. She hustled in front of the boy, blocking him from view. "We're transporting him on official business."

The guard looked confused, and after a moment his companion stepped in. "He doesn't speak anything but Orcish; new recruit. Fresh from the Valley of Trials. Anyways, we're on high alert because of some strange happenings in the area. Have you heard of the undead revolt back at Razor Hill?"

Morphinia seemed to relax. "Yes, actually." She molded into civil conversation easily. Sora was surprised at that, because moments before he felt a defined animosity between the elves and the orcs.

"Well, a similar thing happened here. After you drop off your human, I would suggest you ask Lord Thrall about it. I know the Great Silencer when I see her…" his beady black eyes rested on Silintia.

"I'm sure he would want your help in figuring out what is causing these occurrences."

The mage looked uncomfortable, but she smiled nonetheless. "I will be sure to do that. Oh, also, we were attacked by a harpy inside the canyon walls. I felt the presence of several others as well. You might want to send some guards to clear them out. They had strange abilities."

"Dustwind Harpies; they've been bothering a lot of travelers recently. I'll take a squad myself to check it out."

"Thanks," breathed the elf, tucking a strand of white bangs behind her ear. The guard nodded to his companion, and both moved aside to allow them passage.

The group moved forward quickly, stepping up from the sand and through the arc-way. Their feet smacked deftly against the granite floor, causing an echo in the large corridor they had entered. Sora could feel heat at his back, and surreptitiously glanced behind him at the sweltering outdoors. Silintia was quick to grab his arm; she dragged him forward into the hallway as if even looking outside gave him a chance to escape.

Overwhelmed, Sora did not complain about being manhandled. The walls of the chasm were made of gray stone. They towered over the boy's head, easily over twenty feet. Columns of wood ran up them every couple yards, supporting the hulking structure with criss-crossing beams in the ceiling. Large torches sparsely decorated the walls and gave the hall a comforting glow. Though immense, the hall was not long at all. The brunet could already see the exit, light spilling from the large arch brightly.

A moment later the group spilled back into the outdoors, Sora blinking rapidly. "Wait, why are we outside?" He looked at Morphinia as the sweltering heat beat down on his neck.

"Just look around," replied the blonde, sounding smug.

The boy did, pupils constricting under the stress of the burning sunlight. After his eyesight adjusted, Sora gasped silently. Sprawling before him was a huge city; complete with white-washed stone roads, scores of cramped buildings, and large crowds of people all talking loudly. He hadn't known what to expect from this 'Orgrimmar', but in his mind's eye it was a brutal place with blood in the streets and monsters at every corner. Though it was not lacking the monsters, its inhabitants were not coming after him like they would in his imagination. They went about their own business; sans evil-doing.

Just as Sora was about to come into a massive epiphany Silintia pushed him forward into the road. It was meant to be a light push, to get him moving since he had spent a good thirty seconds gawking, but it backfired when the boy tripped on a loose stone and catapulted into the street. He slammed into an orc, knocked several elves over, and was lost in a sea of people.

"Sorry!" the brunet cried, pushing away from the beast and looking around desperately for the familiar faces of his companions. He could hear Morphinia calling for him, and he knew they were close by. Adrenalin pumped in the boy's system; he saw the only opportunity he would have to get away from those wretched women. Sora took it.

Walking along tensely, the keyblade master found himself stuck between a tall blonde woman and a bulky orc. He was on edge, waiting for someone to shout, "Human! Get him!", or for Morphinia or Silintia to pop out of thin air and apprehend him. No one seemed to notice him though, even though his spiky brown locks and chained arms should have given him away. Still, he was not bothered. The boy figured here, where everyone seemed over five-nine, he was invisible. Hesitantly, Sora tried to stay with the Elven woman. Her eyes were like Morphinia's, green and almost glowing. He liked it, and he liked the way they didn't harden with responsibility when they glided over him.

Eventually the throng of people fanned out, making it possible for Sora to navigate his way away from the stream. The boy did not really want to leave the Morphinia look alike, but still he hustled out of the street and past some questionable looking monsters.

Where he was now, he had no idea. The cobblestones of the road were replaced with caked sand, large buildings creating a semi-circle shopping center. Groups of people, Orcs and Elves and Undead, all wandered about the area. Sora approached one such assembly, listening as they talked amongst themselves. They spoke in an unrecognizable language, so he shrugged them off without much interest. Maybe he was lost, but this city was filled with interesting sights and sounds. Everything was alien, and for the first time since he had come to this planet the boy got a chance to really take it in. The familiar tingle of being in a new world wandered over Sora's skin, causing a content smile to set on his lips. He was so relieved to be away from the oppressing Silintia and Morphinia.

Admittedly... the brunet felt small and alone without their ever-watchful gazes. He sighed, wondering what would be the best way to get out of this wretched city. So lost in his thoughts, Sora paid no mind to the small little monster running at him. Cerulean eyes only passed over it for a moment; he distantly thought that the mini orc was cute, with her red braids and cotton dress.

She wasn't so cute when she collided with his knees; the two almost went down and Sora had to fumble to keep his footing. Out of instinct he shoved her away, but immediately felt bad when the girl frowned.

She looked up at him for a moment, and Sora expected tears. Instead, the orc erupted into a huge smile. "H-Hi!" the child yelled, exposing her two missing front teeth. The orc interlaced her fat fingers, looking with innocent eyes at the brunet.

"Uh… hi," Sora mumbled, looking around to see if anyone had noticed them. Nobody looked his way; they were all too busy gathering around a mailbox or rushing in and out of buildings. "Can I help you?"

The little green being's smile grew even bigger, if that was possible. "I'm Ky. Ky! I saw you from my house and you looked lost and lonely and scared of the big orcs so I thought I'd come and… uh…" The orc named Ky paused, brows pulling together. "Save! That's the word. I thought I'd come and save you!"

A genuine smile eased over Sora's features. "Did you now?" he asked, squatting down so he was at eye level with the child orc.

"Yeah! Sorry, my common is rough. I've been learning it on my own so I could talk to all the pretty elves that come through here. Do you speak Orcish?" Ky was positively beaming, hands gripped tightly behind her back.

"I don't," Sora said, wondering if the only reason this orc was being nice to him was because she thought he was an elf. "I wish I could though. Anyways, I don't think it's best for me to be out in the open like this," the brunet smiled lightly. It was so easy in the eyes of a child. To give trust willingly and want to help; it was something the brunet missed about his previous travels. No one had ever really questioned who he was or why he was there. Sora wanted desperately to be with this child now. He wanted to soak up her trust and laugh with her and remember what it felt like to have a friend…

Before he could really think it through, he leaned forward to look in the little girl's eyes. They were hazy and dark, lacking an iris or any distinctive features. But they were gentle, and he so wanted to spend just a little time basking in them. "Listen, Ky. I'll let you help me, if you want. What I need most of all is somewhere to go, somewhere… safe. Do you live around here? It wouldn't be for long."

"Well, my mommy isn't home…" the child seemed torn, but she made up her mind quite quickly. "That doesn't matter, you're a pretty elf and you need saving. Come with me!"

The orc was off in a second, weaving through the crowds of people easily. Sora struggled to follow her, barely keeping a visual as she darted under the legs of her people and out through the street. He almost got pulled into the current of passer-byres, but managed to erupt from the throng onto the other side of the road.

It was different in this area. Instead of a couple large buildings, there were rows upon rows of small houses. Many orcs meandered to and from them; some resting in rocking chairs, some gardening in the caked dirt. Ky was waving at him from an adobe house, this one much like the first ones he saw back when he arrived at the Crossroads. Large hands motioned the boy inside, and Sora followed her lead through the entryway into a dimly lit room.

Ky dropped down into a chair, her bulky feet swinging back and forth above the ground. The house smelled distantly of smoke, and to Sora's surprise there was a large pot boiling over a fire a few feet away from the Orcish child. He hesitantly entered, eyes adjusting rather quickly to the candle light.

"So, uh, why don't you tell me a bit about yourself?" he asked, sitting down in a chair that was twice his size. Much to Sora's dismay, his feet did not even touch the ground.

"Well… I'm eight and a half, and I'm going off to training next year so I can become a soldier. Mommy says I should just stay in the city because it's safer, but I want to be like daddy and my big bubby and help the cause!" The girl smiled, tilting her green head happily. "What about you? Why are you in Orgrimmar? I've never seen really young elves here before."

Mildly insulted at being referred to as 'really young', Sora pretended to be offended. "I'm fifteen!" He yelled, grin infecting the little orc with him. She erupted into giggles, and they both paused for a good laugh. In all honesty, he didn't know what he could tell this child. She didn't actually seem that curious; the girl hadn't even asked him his name, or why his arms were bound behind his back. He quickly fabricated a tale. "My story is kind of complicated, so I'll just give you the short version. Basically, I… I lost my friends, because I couldn't find my way. And in the desert I got all chained up by some bad people, but then I made some new friends who," he paused, insides turning from the absurdity of it, "_helped_ me. They brought me here, but we got separated."

"I hate when I get lost from my mommy in the Drag…" Ky attempted to sympathize, but the words were rushed and broken. "It's really scary," she mumbled, even though she barely understood her new friend's story. His common was so quick the girl couldn't follow.

"Hah…" Sora started, longing to confide in this child about his hard journey.

"So, who were your friends? Maybe I could help you find them." Ky eagerly sat forward, small face illuminated in the light of the fire.

The brunet fidgeted, hoping she would not come through with that. "Two ladies… Morphinia and Silintia."

Ky went ridged in her seat, eyes turning to large saucers. "…Did… did you say 'Silintia'?" The orc whispered that for some reason, scooting forward to stare intensely at Sora.

"Uh, yeah? Why? Do you know her?"

The little orc smiled deviously. "Who _doesn't_ know about the Great Silencer? That is who you mean, right? The only blood elf with white hair and black eyes, who is known as one of the most powerful mages ever? I thought she was out in the Barrens, defending the Crossroads from raids… if she's the one who found you, you're so lucky!" Ky bounced in her seat, her attempt at speaking Sora's language slow and broken. "Ohh, I'm jealous. I see her sometimes walking through the streets, but she only ever comes to meet personally with Lord Thrall."

An uncomfortable moment passed as Sora watched his new friend sigh dreamily. This was the second time he heard Silintia called the 'Great Silencer', and curiosity got the better of him. "Why is Silintia so famous?

"You've got to be kidding me." The orc muttered, fingering one of her blood-red braids. "Everyone knows the story, have you been on another planet or something?"

_Oh, the irony, _thought the brunet sourly.

Liking the sound of her own voice, Ky opted to share this common knowledge with her tattered new friend. "I'll tell you. Okay, well as you know elves grow up in Silvermoon City, but they like to play around in the woods there. Ever since the Third War, they were supposed to avoid the Dead Scar because… oh, what's the word… Right, the Scourge or Legion or whatever was there. Anyways, it was dangerous." The girl lost her train of thought, looking expectantly at the boy. "Hey… have you ever been to the dead scar?"

Sora gulped. "Uh, no. The story..?"

"Right, uh… Okay, so as a really young kid, like, younger than me, Silintia was just like all the other elves that went to play with their friends in the woods. I don't remember her friend's name, but I remember that they were off near the Dead Scar, and they got attacked!" She paused for dramatic effect. "Apparently, it was a really strong monster, and it wanted to kill them _really_ bad. They say Silintia's friend got knocked out by it, and so to save her friend she conjured energy balls, even though before then she had never had The Gift."

The keyblade master smiled, guessing that friend was probably a blonde…

Unaware of her audience's amusement the little orc continued on passionately; "And that's not just it. After distracting the monster, she grabbed her friend and started running back towards Silvermoon. They were so deep in the woods that no one knew they were in trouble, and the monster was following them and shooting magic at them. Apparently, Silintia somehow cast a spell that created an amazing barrier around herself and her friend, protecting them from the incredibly strong attacks. So here she was, running for her life, holding her friend, and maintaining a really advanced spell. The spell was actually drawing on her _life-force_, which is why after a while the damage made her hair go white and her eyes lose their color…"

Sora felt speechless, his mouth slightly ajar.

Ky nodded in agreement, even though the boy had said nothing. "She ran all the way back to the city, and collapsed. It took ten guards to slay the beast, but Silintia didn't have a scratch on her. And that spell she was using? Only really powerful mages even know it."

The brunet stared into the fire under the pot. "That's really impressive," he mused. When they'd been attacked, Sora hadn't really found her all that remarkable. He'd beaten stronger monsters, but maybe he had underestimated her. "I'm surprised I was traveling with someone like that."

"Yeah," replied the orc, smiling dreamily. "Well you know…" she paused, trying to figure something out. After a moment the girl looked up with her shining eyes and laughed, "You never told me your name!"

The keyblade master chuckled; surprised she had not asked a blatant question like that earlier. "Well my name is Sor-"

"Sora."

Blood running cold, the boy turned towards the flap of leather that served as Ky's front door. He knew that voice, hard and cold and nothing like the voice of a savior. Daylight streamed into the room as the sheet was levied aside. Stern features and white hair… Sora knew this moment would come eventually. She was unavoidable, like a bloodhound after him all the time.

"…Silintia," he mumbled, struggling to stand from the wooden chair. "…Can't say I'm too glad to see you again."

From her seat, Ky looked confused and excited at the same time. "Oh my gosh, I can't believe it!" She jumped up, rushing over to Sora and gripping his chained hand. "Your friend found you, and it's really Silintia!"

The elf herself did not move, merely staring mutely at the boy before her. "Friend?" She asked, sounding immensely amused. "Hardly. Child, are you aware you're harboring a fugitive?"

"What's a fumgetive?" The little orc stared at Silintia with huge eyes, tilting her head in a picture of innocent.

Sora sighed, tightening his fingers around Ky's. "I'm sorry, I lied to you…" he started, feeling a tickle in the back of his nose. "I'm not an elf… I'm a human." The boy lumbered down so that he was at eye level with his small friend. "Thank you so much, you're the first person who has been nice to me in this world."

The orc in question was lost, staring at the nice boy who she'd been so keen to help. "You're a… human? That's not possible," she started laughing childishly. "You're way too nice to be a human."

Silintia considered waiting patiently in the doorway, but the scene in front of her was too sweet to be left alone. Before any rush of emotion could grip her, the elf lumbered into the room, grabbed Sora's upper arm, and tugging him out of the house. Ky did not follow, instead choking back large tears and waving fat fingers from her door. "Bye Sora! I'll miss you!" she yelled, unsure what was really going on. The severity of the situation was lost of her young mind. All the little girl thought was that she hoped to see her friend again, even if he was a human. He lacked the scary features of a normal human, so the girl paid that little detail no mind.

Outside of the house, Sora struggled against Silintia's grip fiercely. "I will not go with you!" he yelled, clawing with dull nails at Silintia's pale fingers. He wasn't going to comply with them anymore; he couldn't. The _keyblade master_ was not going to walk along nicely and be led to his death. He had come too far, and too many people were counting on him back home.

"Are you going to fight us? Here?" The elf motioned at Ky's home, and the houses around it. "That would be messy."

A few feet away, Morphinia shuffled uncomfortably. "Please Sora… just come with us. It's not like I couldn't easily _make_ you."

"And I could easily expose what you are!"

Sora stopped talking immediately, surprise widening his eyes. Is that what being in captivity had made him? A blackmailer? That's not who he was supposed to be; he was the good boy. The guy who helped, no matter what. Even in the face of evil, he wasn't the person to lose himself like that. "I… I didn't mean that."

The blonde elf only looked away, metal-clad fingers clamping down on her arm. Silintia gulped, unsure of what to do. "Let us go, then." She said, sounding, if possible, colder now that the boy had threatened her friend.

Sora followed, feeling deflated. He hadn't given up, but escape would have to wait until no one innocent would be harmed should a battle erupt.

The group easily molded into the flow of the people, Silintia's strong grip never leaving her captive's arm. They followed the road, passing a large structure from which flying… animals, of a sort, seemed to be departing. Sora stared up at the bird-things with interest, a smile brightening his features at the innate grace of their majestic wings and strong bodies. "They're gryphons…" said Morphinia, taking notice of the boy's curiosity.

Silintia paid no attention to her companions; she was intent on having Sora deposed of as soon as possible. When he was gone, Morphinia would be safe. That thought set the elf's jaw to rock.

Soon enough the crowd dispersed into the shopping area Sora had seen before, but this time he did not get to follow. Instead he was dragged further up the road, following the cobblestone's light curve into a strange looking area. They entered what looked like a cave, except it had no foreseeable end and the path curved out of Sora's sight. Buildings sprouted from the walls there, the sun disappearing overhead while the air became stale and dark. Orange rock made up the walls and ceiling of the cave-like area, and the ground underfoot became similar to concrete.

Sora squinted. With the sun gone, the area had only the occasional wrought-iron fence post to serve as lighting. That, and the warm lights that poured out from the surrounding building's windows and doorways.

"Where are we?" he asked, before common sense got the better of him. It's not like he was on a tour, or anything.

Again, Morphinia was the one to answer. "This is the Drag. We're going to see Thrall in the Valley of Wisdom." She sounded dull, like the spunk had been sucked out of her. Sora squashed the friendly concern that bubbled in his chest, and instead focused on the familiarity of the area. So this was the place Ky had been lost? He smiled lightly and stared at the ground, feeling warm. His time with the child was short, but it reminded him of who he was.

The good guy.

Sora let himself be led by Silintia, eyes straying over the shady figures traveling in and out of glowing entryways. A hooded man lounged in front of one building's glowing windows, green orbs glaring out from the shadows. The boy watched him with interest, and was hesitant to look away when his white-haired captor pulled him around a corner.

A tug forward was enough motivation. The passageway grew darker as they descended, and soon the only visible light came pouring out from the buildings around them. A shiver worked its way up Sora's spine, coiling tightly in his upper back.

"Come on," Silintia muttered, even though the boy was following her rather compliantly.

The way was almost pitch black now. The next time they turned it was simply from Silintia's memory of the path. Sora couldn't see two feet in front of his face, and it did not sit well with him to be wandering aimlessly in the dark. "Are we almost out of here?"

Another turn, and sunlight was suddenly spilling into Sora's eyes.

A spiked gate hung half-way over the exit to the Drag, light leaking out from under the exposed part. The keyblade master squinted into the glare, seeing only the burning sand he had come so accustomed to in his journey beyond the gate. _Don't they ever want a change of scenery?_ He wondered, wetting his lips with a slip of pink tongue.

Morphinia shoved past Sora, not sparing him a glance as she wandered up to the wall next to the gate. Upon it rested a tight rope, slightly unwound at the end with frays sprouting from the twine. The elf gripped it with her gloved hands, ripping it towards the ground roughly. The gate shuddered, and after resisting a moment it sprang up into the ceiling. A crooked smirk set itself on the blonde's face, "Easy."

She wound the cord around a hefty rock on the ground before straightening up and glancing at her companions. The elf rested a hand on her hip, jutting it out to the side lightly and raising a brow. "Are you waiting for my permission? Go."

Silintia didn't seem fazed by her friend's sour disposition. The mage tugged Sora under the gate, and they exited out into a large cul-de-sac of buildings and shrubbery. A huge tree grew in the center of the area, menacingly bare limbs reaching out towards Sora from their unmoving stance. The boy wet his lips and squinted into the glare of the sun, shifting his shoulder away from Silintia's tight grip. She let palm fan out on his shoulder blades, pushing him forward past the dead tree and towards a large adobe building.

Two large orcs sporting halberds and grunt's armor stepped out of the compound just as the group approached. "Official business," muttered Morphinia before they could even speak, but they did not pay her any mind. Silintia nodded after the blonde, thus prompting the guards to stand aside. The mage shoved Sora between the two orcs, and they gripped him tightly in her stead.

The five people all turned towards the building now; Sora took it in with a stern jaw and iron resolve. It was large and circular, made from yellowish orange adobe with scrawling red patterns painted onto the sides. Three clay steps lead up to the door; large spikes made of bone were positioned on either side along with two burning urns. The entryway stood open, inviting people inside should they wish to enter.

Sora did not, but he allowed himself to be pulled through the entryway and into a small hall. Two torches burned brightly on either side of him, illuminating the complicated fibers of the soft rugs under his feet. He looked up from the ground; Silintia was walking in front of him and he heard Morphinia's metal boots abuse the ground behind. The two orcs remained stoic as they passed through the hall, only grunting when the group exited into a small circular room.

Many orcs were lined in this room, all sporting magnificent weapons and pining Sora with tight glares. "We request an audience with Thrall," said Silintia, addressing one of the guards closest to the door.

"Granted."

The two guards holding Sora immediately dropped his arms, instead opting to join the many orcs who stood sternly around the room. Silintia did not move to grip her charges arm. Instead she wandered a few feet in front of the boy and stared down at him from her onyx eyes. "Don't speak unless spoken to," she mumbled, quickly glancing at one of the orcs. "Be sure to stay on your knees; show respect."

Morphinia's metal fingers wound up Sora's arm. She held him loosely, leaning in and whispering softly, "Maybe that will keep you alive."

The boy shivered at the gust of breath over the shell of his ear. He let himself be pulled forward by the blonde elf, mentally working through what was about to happen. With his arms chained he couldn't summon the keyblade, but he could still try to run away if they did attack. For the moment the best idea seemed to be to do as he was told, so the boy followed behind Morphinia as she crossed the room and stopped in front of a large wooden door.

* * *

Thrall-Warchief of the Horde, Liberator of the Orcs, and Lord of the Clans-was bored. He'd known the moment he woke that particular morning that he would end up this way; leaning purposelessly on his palm atop his thrown with nothing to do but breathe. This was mainly due to the fact that he had no important meetings today.

He didn't even have _unimportant_ meetings. Usually he was solving a border dispute, dealing with newcomers, or generally keeping busy like a Warchief should be. But, not today.

Today… he was sitting.

Vol'jin was visiting his Darkspear trolls, Jaina was angry with him because a group of rowdy orcs had attacked Theramore, and no one in the entire world seemed to be around to amuse him. That was why Thrall was sitting, fully armored (he almost never had time to throw on more than a breastplate), with the Doomhammer poised off to his right.

Of course, if anyone asked, he would never admit to being bored. Shamans, you see, were not supposed to be that way. They were supposed to be calm, and if they had nothing to do..? They could always meditate, or maybe contact the Spirits. Yet Thrall could not bring himself to do so; he was plagued with a strange feeling, one which had been in his mind for the last two days. Something was coming his way… something important.

And so Thrall sat, waiting.

* * *

The chambers of the Warchief of the Horde were surprisingly bare. Sora found them lacking in glamour, something he assumed a person who was referred to as 'Lord' would have in bunches. But no; besides the decedent throne and towering Greek columns, the circular room was empty.

Well, as empty as a room could be when within it loomed the person who was supposedly going to end your life.

Sora shivered at that, cerulean orbs glued to the ground a few inches from his face. When they had entered the room Morphinia had immediately forced the keyblade master to his knees; he'd had only the briefest glance of the area around the small group. Right now Silintia and the Warchief were exchanging pleasantries (the mere idea that Silintia could be pleasant in any way shape or form baffled Sora).

"I hope you are in good health, Lord," she was saying, bowing deeply towards the orc before her. Thrall only grunted; beady brown eyes locked on the small brunet kneeling on the ground. "This human was found in the Barrens… in direct violation of the peace agreement we have with the Alliance."

The orc shifted in his seat, still saying nothing. He was pleased though. Regulations stated that trespassers or spies be killed, yet Silintia had let the boy live… interesting.

The mage in question gulped, misunderstanding Thrall's silence. She wondered if he was angry that she had not killed the boy, but quickly dismissed that notion. Thrall himself had once said the loss of the young was a great injustice. He would definitely try to spare a child who did not deserve to die; Silintia had been clinging to that notion ever since Sora had saved her life. "I apprehended him," she said, stating the obvious. "The head guard at the Crossroads said there were interesting things about him. Morphinia?"

Pulling the pack off of her shoulder, the blonde elf soundlessly deposited it at Thrall's feet.

"…so I brought him to you under his orders," finished the mage. Thrall finally deemed the situation worthy of vocal attention; he lumbered from his chair and ambled down to where Sora knelt. Dust puffed up from the ground under his weight, and the brunet boy had to focus all his energies into not looking up at the massive being.

A thick moment passed before the deep and rich voice of Thrall the Warchief filled Sora's ears for the first time. "Why is he chained up? Remove the chains; it's just a human boy."

Concern was in his voice… highly masked but still there. Sora's chest tightened and he imagined a great and noble leader. One who would understand him?

"They're a precaution," replied Silintia, not moving to undo the chains. "Shortly into our trip we found out he could conjure a weapon. It has magical properties."

Thrall seemed impressed. "That's new," he said, looking intently at the back of Sora's skull. Still the boy did not look up, and it slightly irked the orc. "Either way, remove them. And do not argue with me unless you truly believe he could cause me harm. Which, I might add, I shall take as an insult."

Morphinia let out a small laugh, but Silintia remained stoic. "As you wish, Sir." A wave of her palm was all it took, and the troublesome chains unhinged and clattered to the ground. It stung Sora slightly; the skin there was raw from being rubbed with sand and metal.

"Is that better?" asked the mysterious Thrall. Below him Sora nodded, eyes glued forward. "Well," he started, turning towards Silintia. "Anything else you need to inform me of?"

The elf hesitated. "Well, the head guard asked me to tell you he thinks the boy might be some sort of scientist…"

The Warlord had had enough with Sora's humility. "Stand boy!" he demanded, surprising both the elves and the brunet. Sora practically jumped to his feet, eyes clamped closed in fear. He was ashamed of his own behavior, but he was still only a fifteen-year-old boy who was now faced with the leader of what he knew to be a violent and brutal nation. Thrall examined the quivering boy in front of him with much interest, eyeing his strange, tattered clothes and his gravity-defiant spikes. He set his saw when he saw the rubbed-raw wrists Sora had clamped to his side, but said nothing for the longest time.

Was this who he had been waiting for?

The silence grew so pregnant that Sora became uncomfortable. He hesitantly slit one eye open, followed shortly after by the other. Thrall was everything the boy had expected; he was tall and thick, adorned with shining armor and long tusks. Black braids fell over his shoulders, dangling near his midsection. The orc had a slightly receding hairline, but the locks were thick and shiny. He gleamed of perfection. Black stubble covered the Warchief's chin and his brown eyes were clear.

The orc's chapped lips parted in a strangely pleased smile. "Finally, he looks at me." Thrall's armor squeaked as he pointed at Silintia, "What's his name?"

"S-"

"My name is Sora," muttered the keyblade barer, no longer filled with fright. When the boy had looked into Thrall's eyes all of his apprehension had dissipated. Maybe he wasn't the best at reading a person's character, but there was something in the Warchief that gave Sora a confident feeling.

This seemed to please Thrall all the more. The orc leaned back slightly, complicated grab groaning from the pressure of it. "Sora, then. Tell me your story, Sora."

The Warchief turned and quickly ascended the stairs that lead to his throne. Creaking, he turned and sat his bottom in it. The pack still lay at his feet, but Thrall made no move to open it. He locked his gaze on Sora and waited while the boy stared at him. The throne upon which the orc sat was magnificent; tall spikes of white bone jutted from the chair's back with arm-rests that were made from finely sculpted wood. The seat looked plush and soft, while the two bowls that rested on either side of the chair had oil burning brightly in them.

"Pardon me for saying it, but you wouldn't believe my story even if I told you…" muttered the boy. He took to staring at the red drapes that hung above Thrall's great throne; they each held the insignia that adorned the flag outside of the city. Sora surmised that this was the symbol of the Horde, and he smiled at that small bit of deduction. He mentally patted himself on the back.

Thrall leaned forward, "Hmph, don't tell me what I'll believe. I imagine it's my choice; now speak."

The way the Warchief spoke comforted Sora. For some reason he was reminded of King Mickey for the briefest of moments… that thought sent waves of loneliness over the boy. He missed Donald and Goofy badly, even more he missed his friend's from the Destiny Islands. Kairi… and Riku.

Sora resolved to tell his entire story to this stranger. He so wanted to talk about home and his adventures…

"Okay," he smiled through the vague hurt. "As you know my name is Sora, and for the last few years I've been riding on a ship from world to world." The boy let that sink in, and when it became apparent Thrall was not going to fly into a rage about Sora's lies the boy continued. "…Actually, not the last few _years_. I just woke up about a month ago… that, I can't really explain. I don't know how it happened, but I was sleeping for almost two years."

Again, Sora waited for the rage. And again, there was none. "That's very interesting," was all Thrall had to offer. "I hope it's not all. I bet you've got one good tale for me."

The brunet smiled, "I do. Before I went to sleep I had a really amazing adventure; that was when I traveled to a lot of different worlds. I'll start from the beginning so as not to confuse you… and, well, don't take that offensively. It's just a complicated story."

"Alright," answered the Warchief, resting his chin on his thick palm.

Where was the beginning? Sora's stomach turned longingly at the thought of sleeping on the beach back home; of Kairi and Riku, of Highwind and the night when everything went wrong. "I used to live on an island," he said, looking a bit sad. "A place called Destiny Island. I had friends there, and a normal life. Honestly though, it never felt like enough. My best friend ever, Riku, got it in his head one day that we should try to leave the Island. He always said it was because my other friend, Kairi, just showed up one day on the beach with no explanation. He thought that meant there were other worlds out there, and he wanted to see them all."

Sora sighed longingly, earning a strange look from the elves behind him.

"We decided to build a raft and go off to sea. I didn't really see the logic in it, but he said it would work and Riku is always right." The brunet shuffled his feet on the ground and stared hard at them, wetting his lips. "I never did find out if it would have worked. That night something weird happened; a huge storm came, and darkness ended up swallowing the island. Kairi was lost, and though I tried so hard to get to Riku… he disappeared into the darkness. I was spit out in a place called Traverse Town, and there I met up with the king's guard, Goofy, and his sorcerer, Donald." He swallowed, "They joined up with me, and it was then that I found out from a guy called Leon that I was the keyblade master."

Thrall looked confused, so the boy clarified. "The keyblade is a weapon summoned magically; the one Silintia saw me using. It can shoot magic and create gravity fields and lock worlds…"

Again, confusion. "I'll explain that in a second," Sora said, smiling. "First I want to tell you about Ansem and the Heartless. The Heartless are beings made completely of darkness; they come from people who have lost their hearts. Ansem was their leader, and he brought them to the worlds through the door of darkness."

The brunet let that sink in. He rubbed at his raw wrists for a moment before continuing. "Basically he was trying to lure me out because he wanted me to use my keyblade to open the door to Kingdom Hearts, so that the darkness could spread. I went from world to world along with Donald and Goofy fighting Heartless so that I could close their keyholes. Once I did that the Heartless couldn't get in, and people were safe." He tilted his head, "And that's how locking worlds worked."

Thrall laughed, "You sound like a hero to me."

Red stained Sora's cheeks, and he sheepishly waved the orc off. "N-not really. I'm sure anyone would try to help innocent people like that. Anyways," he went back to his normal shade. "Eventually I found Kairi, but when I got there she had already lost her heart… so, well, I gave her mine."

Again Sora found himself blushing, mainly because he knew that his audience would take that the wrong way.

"She was my best friend so it was the right thing to do," he added quickly, ignoring the smirk on Thrall's lips. "Well, since I lost my heart I became a heartless, but that didn't last long. Kairi, I found out, is a Princess of Heart; when she found me she just gave me a hug and my heart returned. I think her Princess status had something to do with it, but honestly I didn't understand. I just knew I had to continue with my journey."

_Obligation is a bitch_, thought the Warchief, but he did not say it aloud. He was enraptured with Sora's story, and he did not want to side-track the boy.

"Eventually I killed Ansem; at least I thought I did. After that I had to close the door to darkness, and within it both King Mickey… and Riku." Again Sora looked depressed, his soft features falling into an expression they were not used to making. "I don't know what has happened to them. Shortly after that is when I was put to sleep."

Somberly he mumbled, "Someone took a year from me."

Thrall had already made up his mind about Sora; he had done so the moment the boy entered the room. He let him continue though, trying not to feel like an outsider listening to the boy muse. "I still haven't found out who it was, or what even happened. When I woke up the heartless were back, so I guess I didn't really kill Ansem. That means it was back to locking all the worlds again, which is what I was doing when the Gummi Ship got sucked into a black hole. Everyone ejected, but I hit my head on a chair and ended up passing out… my memory from then isn't really all that great; I just know I went down with the ship and woke up in the Barrens."

Silence filled the chamber, thick and potent. Morphinia's armor groaned as she shifted uncomfortably, and the elf went slightly red at having disturbed the moment. She shrank back into the shadows, looking around surreptitiously at the others in the room.

"That was quite a tale," said Thrall, ignoring the blonde. "The question is, do I believe it or do I assume you fabricated it and are a human spy?"

Sora felt sick, having no way of knowing the orc before him had said that just to mess with the boy's head. He didn't answer, not wanting to have to address that idea. "Here's what I think I'll do. Silintia, Morphinia… do you believe his story? You both are just as perceptive as I, and Silintia here is one of my best mages. So tell me what to think, you two."

_I'm doomed_.

Quiet fell over the room again, this time no armor shifting to disrupt it. Both elves were shocked, and unsure of what to answer. The seconds slid by like hours, until finally Morphinia lumbered forward and stood next to Sora. "I," she started, resting a gloved hand on his should. "Believe him."

The brunet's jaw dropped, and he quickly turned towards the elf. "What?!" he yelled, eyes going wide.

"You heard me Sora, I believe you. I have tried hard not to," she mumbled in shame, "but that was impossible. Even when you tried to escape, I could understand. I would have too. The truth is, I can't imagine you being some human spy or scientist. You've saved my life; you've saved Silintia's life. You have never raised your sword to us, even though in the beginning you easily could have. I brought you here only because that was what I was ordered to do… and what can I say? It's my job to do as I am told."

It was suddenly very easy for Sora to look back at Morphinia's actions and understand them. He had known, deep down, that she did not resent him the way she said she did. Had that all been an attempt not to get close to him?

He hoped so.

Now it was Silintia's turn to speak, but the elf remained quiet. She stared hard at her best friend and the boy who had threatened to expose her. Black eyes narrowed slightly, and suddenly the mage lurched forward and stood on the opposite side of Sora. "I want him dead, Lord."

That hurt to hear, but it did not surprise the boy. He wondered why Silintia had it out for him so…

She spoke again, "I want him dead, but I guess that is not what you asked me." The white-haired elf looked desolately at Morphinia, her eyes guarded and unreadable. "Honor requires I speak the truth, so I guess I have to say it… I believe him, too."

Morphinia beamed at that, but Sora only felt winded. It was like a welcomed punch to the gut; Silintia, who had been so cold, believed him. Maybe she too just did not want to become attached to the boy, considering both were under orders and the impression they were leading him to his death…

The brunet stared at the mage for a long time. He didn't realize tears were leaking down his cheeks, but he wouldn't have cared if he did. Silintia only looked uncomfortable; she turned away sharply and lumbered off towards the door. "That doesn't mean things wouldn't be easier if you were dead, kid." Nothing she said now could bring Sora down. The boy beamed after her, then turned to Morphinia and smiled even harder.

"Thank you, thank you both," he blubbered, eyes welling up more. The blonde next to him grinned her crooked grin, squeezed his shoulder, and then set off after her friend. "What does this mean?" Sora asked, looking up at Thrall.

The boy wiped his eyes and sniffed, unaware that both of the women were standing behind him. Taking in the group, the Warchief sucked his lower lip into his mouth and worried it. "I'll take their inputs into consideration, though I imagine both have let their emotions cloud their judgment. Both of you leave us now," he ordered, pointing to the door that the group had entered through.

"Wait!" shouted Sora, unsure of why. "I, uh…" He turned to the women, and then back to Thrall. "I need to tell Morphinia something. Just in case."

Thrall only nodded, but it was enough to send the brunet skirting over to the elf. Silintia had already left the room by then; she muttered incoherently different complaints about the boy as she did. Once Sora was at Morphinia's side he tugged at her arm, drawing her ear close to his mouth. "You asked me if I could see why you deserved to die at birth, but you never let me answer. No, I don't see why. I hope you don't either… just wanted you to know that, well, I'm glad I met you. And I would have been even if you told him I was a dirty spy and needed to die."

Sora gave the woman no chance to reply. He pushed away from her and scurried back to the throne, only throwing a wave over his shoulder. The blonde herself stood motionless in the doorway, clutching her fist to her chest and fighting off tears. She scrambled out of the room and slammed the door, leaving Sora to his fate.

A fate which, surprisingly, the boy was feeling incredibly optimistic about.

He waited quietly for Thrall to speak, rubbing lightly at the broken skin of his wrists. The Warchief regarded the boy, before leaning back in his chair and sighing. "I have always been able to sense a person's aura," he started, rubbing his temple. "In you I sense stark honesty, loyalty, and innocence. So, naturally, it would be foolish to continue forcing false accusations on you. From now on just consider yourself a guest of the Horde. You'll soon see we are not as bloodthirsty and brutal as captivity might have brought you to believe… we just like to protect our own."

"Who doesn't?" questioned Sora, trying to feel slightly more connected with the massive orc.

Thrall nodded in agreement. "Why don't you take a seat? We have a lot to go over…"

* * *

Sora spoke with the Warchief for what felt like hours. He talked about his past, and listened to the orc's own story about growing up in fighting arenas. They went through the bag of confiscated items Morphinia had left at the chief's feet; Thrall let the boy use one of the healing potions on his blistered wrists. Later Sora confessed to having faced against a horde of heartless in the Barrens, and they spent much time speculating over what this meant.

Either way, it was not a good omen.

Eventually Thrall came to the conclusion that Sora's passage into the universe had somehow let the darkness through, too. The boy found that explanation plausible, and apologized profusely for it.

"It's not your fault," was all the great Thrall had said.

And so it was decided that Sora would travel from Orgrimmar to a place called the Undercity; the Warchief purposed that Queen Sylvanas and her leagues of undead scientists could help in the location of this world's keyhole. The keyblade master would simply lock the world, and in return Thrall would work to locate the boy a ship for which he could use to try and get back home.

"Silintia and Morphinia will be your guides," stated the orc, looking down at the small boy who would apparently save their world. "Do not begrudge them for doing their duties; they are both very honorable women. Now, before you leave you should visit a seamstress to have your robes repaired… they're really torn up and we don't want the undead to think orcs don't know how to treat a visitor."

Sora nodded, standing to leave. "Send in the elves for me once you get out there, I need to have a quick word with them."

* * *

Morphinia had spent an entire two hours pacing back and forth in front of the door leading to Thrall's chambers. She fidgeted with her armor, adjusted her axes, and generally drove every living being around her mad for the entire time. "What could they _possibly_ be talking about for so long?" she asked for the umpteenth time, fixing Silintia with a ragged stare to which the elf only sighed.

"Maybe we lucked out and Thrall is slowly, and methodically, killing the boy."

The blonde axe-wielder twitched. "Must you be like that? He hasn't breathed a word about… well, yeah, and still you're constantly calling in the cavalry. Doesn't a life-debt mean anything to you?"

Silintia leaned against the wall and crossed her arms, blowing a piece of hair out of her left eye. "Not really, and anyways I paid it off by saying that I believe that rat… He _threatened_ you, Morph. Why doesn't that bother you at all?"

"Because he didn't mean it. You'll see Silintia, soon enough you too will be caring about this kid. He's got a way about him; don't tell me you haven't felt it. First time I saw him I wanted to just wrap him up in a little ball and protect him from the world." Morphinia shifted her eyes to the left, pursing her lips and mumbling, "I don't know why."

The mage stared her friend down; "Right. Well you deal with those urges on your own, mate."

Just as the blonde elf began blowing raspberries at her friend the massive door to Thrall's chamber creaked open; Sora's eyes poked out from the entry and he groaned, "Can someone help me with this?"

One of the guardian orcs did so, leaning over the door and roughly dragging it back. The brunet eyed the monster's rippling muscles with slight envy before stepping through the opening and staring at the two women. "Well," he started, only to yelp when Morphinia jumped at him and wrapped him up in a smothering hug. The sharp lines of her armor bit into him, but the boy put up with it and laced his own arms around her waist.

The spikes there hurt.

"You're crushing me," he gasped, hoping she hadn't broken his ribs. The elf backed off; her eyes welled up slightly.

A second later Morphinia was bawling and pawing at Sora's spikes. "I thought you were deeeaaaaaaaad…" she cried, ignoring the odd looks she received from each person in the room. The boy in her grasp laughed lightly, enjoying the change in the elf's demeanor towards him.

Silintia grimaced at the indignity, turning away and tightening her arms across her chest. "Idiot," she muttered. The mage planted herself against the wall and rolled her eyes, "I can't believe you got him to believe you. Pity."

The blonde elf finally sniffled up the last of her tears and turned to her friend, "Aw, don't get the poor guy down…" she said, ruffling Sora's locks unconsciously.

"It's okay, I know where she's coming from. _I_ can't believe it." The boy smiled, tilting his head away from Morphinia's assaulting fingers. "He actually set us out on a mission… I'm supposed to tell you guys to go in there and talk to him."

Of the two, only Silintia replied. "A mission? _Us?_As in, together?"

A moment went by and then she mumbled, "Damn." The elf wandered over to her two companions and motioned for Morphinia to follow her; they disappeared into Thrall's chamber and left Sora alone with the group of grunts assigned to guard the entrance. Fluttering, the boy was elated at being alive and believed. All he had to do was lock this world and he would be on his merry way back home.

With that thought in mind he waited for the elves, sitting cross-legged on the floor and messing with his nails for all of ten minutes until they returned.

"Come on," was all Silintia said once she and Morphinia had returned. The blonde elf sent the boy and awkward half-smile, nodding her head after her white-haired friend. Sora followed them out of the room, through the dimly lit hall, and into the small cul-de-sac of buildings without complaint. The great tree continued to call to the boy, wind waving its bare limbs in his direction. Many hours had passed since the group wandered through this area; the sun now hung lower in the sky, casting brilliant beams of deep honey hues over the companions as they meandered back into the Drag. Before passing under the massive gate Sora took a last glance at the sky. The boy tried to burn it into his memory as it was, with the veins of pink seeping through the orange base so beautifully it almost made his eyes hurt.

They passed through the Drag quickly and quietly. No one wanted to remain in the darkness long, and once out Sora paused to appreciate the sun again. It already was disappearing over the horizon, pink veins gone leaving only the slightest amethyst tinge in their wake. "We should be able to catch the night-time Zeppelin if we hurry getting Sora's robes repaired and take a gryphon."

Silintia nodded in agreement, stopping the group under the towering building atop which flying animals departed every few minutes. "I'll get the Gryphon Tickets; you take the kid to the seamstress… Pick up some cheap chainmail for him to wear while you're there." The mage fished around in the deep cotton pockets of her sand-ruined robes and pulled out a couple golden coins. She passed them off to Morphinia and without even a small farewell wandered inside the structure. A moment later she was gone from sight, taking with her the tense atmosphere Silintia always seemed to create.

"I think she's starting to like you," Morphinia thought aloud airily. Scoffing at the idea, Sora allowed the female elf to press her armored palm into his back and guide him forward. They moved peacefully down the streets; the blonde took her time pointing out different shops and explaining their wares to the boy.

"That shop over there is run by humans from Theramore; they trade furs and other little things. The one next to it is specialized armor, and over there lots of tid-bits for potion making," she pointed at a shanty looking building with a crooked sign and smoke pouring out of its windows.

Sora smiled, "Can you make potions for things besides healing and restoring magic power?"

As they sauntered along Morphinia nodded. "Protection potions and speed potions. By god, once I took a potion that turned my skin to stone for a couple seconds." The elf shivered at the memory, before squinting at a far off shop and looking pleased. "Here we are," she mumbled, pointing it out to the boy. "Al'tec's Armory and Seamstressing... been coming here for years." Sora directed his sight to where the elf's fingers stressed. A sturdy store stood there, walls of adobe and windows of stone, staring out at the town from underneath a stringy awning.

The two approached haphazardly. From the great oak door that adorned the shop's caked walls sprang an eager salesman; he wore a tanned leather apron with thick bottle-glasses and a wide Cheshire smile. His muddy orbs behind the fat lenses fell onto Morphinia, and the grin dropped like a bag of bricks. "You!" shouted the man, pointing an oil-stained finger in her direction. "I don't want you around here anymore, nothing but trouble follows you! Get, get gone!"

"Al'tec… I thought we were past this," replied the elf, sounding sickly sweet as she tilted her head to the side and tried to appear innocent.

For a moment the small man was caught off guard. His thick brown eyebrows furrowed, lips pursing as he rummaged around in the front pockets of his apron and fished out a handkerchief. "No, _absolutely_ not… last time you showed up I had Tauren debt collectors threatening to burn down my shop for information on you. Geeet!"

The elf glanced down and Sora and laughed awkwardly, "That wasn't my fault… you could've made something up."

"What about the time you promised to show me a place to farm premium leather, then left me in the desert to _die_?" asked the shopkeeper, leaning forward and glaring accusingly in the woman's face.

Morphinia shrugged. "Circumstantial. I got called away… and anyways you were doing fine when I left."

Rage bubbled into the man's shaking hands, "I was being attacked by a Rhinodrake!"

Sora attempted without much success not to burst into uncontrollable laughter. He focused on keeping his lips in a thin line, taking a couple deep breaths while fisting his palms. "Listen, Al'tec, I know we've had a couple… disagreements in our past. But I promise I'm not bringing any trouble with me today; I mean look, I've got a human with me. Just like you."

Al'tec squinted at Sora without much interest, wiping his hands on the cloth he had in his fingers. "That doesn't give you any credit with me. Human race is trouble, the whole lot of 'em!"

Sighing, Morphinia produced the handful of gold Silintia had given her. The shopkeeper's eyes bulged at it, and suddenly he seemed much more solicitous. "Well, I survived our last run-ins… I guess I can handle another. Gold is gold, after all," he muttered, looking greedily into her palm. "Just hope you're intending to buy a lot; to make up for all the pain you've put me through, girl." The elf rolled her eyes and brushed past, entering into the well lit establishment without much hesitance. Sora followed her, casting a weary glance at Al'tec's potbelly and large arms as he passed.

Inside the shop it was bright; candles lined shelves on each wall and made the area glow in a homey fashion that Sora hadn't experienced since he was back on the island. The room was cluttered with racks of clothing and different crates on the floor which overflowed with metal pieces, the shelves held completed armor sets. A mannequin stood off in one corner of the room sporting intricate chainmail; to its right rested a small spinning wheel and a large desk.

"Where's your wife? I'm here to see her more than you," asked Morphinia with distaste, fingering through shelves of gleaming armor and folded cloths.

The shopkeeper did not seem pleased by this information; he glared from behind his massive glasses before mumbling a few inaudible curses. "Karen, you've got business!" he yelled, shirking around the room as if he had nothing to do.

"Coming, coming," someone sang. Moments later a door hidden in the corner of the small store flew open, a large woman with a bulbous belly and dark red lips fluttered out of it and surveyed the room. "Ah! Heavens," she said, taking in Sora's ragged appearance. "Three guesses as to what I'm here for."

This woman, Karen, reminded Sora deeply of the Fairy Godmothers. He smiled wide at her, nodding as she swished across the room and dabbed at his ruined clothes. "Mm, mm, mm," she hummed, apparently disappointed that someone had let their apparel get so ratty. The boy's grin lessened with shame, he shrugged at Morphinia's laugh and let the woman inspect him. "Fifty silver to repair this, ten to rent robes while he waits…"

Morphinia flicked a gold piece between her fingers. "I need some silver chainmail for him, too. How much?"

"One gold for the silver, but we have brass for a lot cheaper."

Al'tec hurried to his wife's side and flickered, waving his hand limply at the woman. "Don't listen to her, you definitely want the silver. Much better, much."

The elf rolled her eyes, dragging another gold piece into her grip. "I want the silver. Not because Al'rec is a greedy old man, but because we need the extra strength. Here," she flicked the gold at the shopkeeper's face, raising a brow when he caught it easily and jammed it into his apron. "I thought you said you charged me extra on armor crafting because you were almost blind, and the strain was ruining your eyes?"

The man fingered Morphinia's gold pieces, smiling with delight. "It's a miracle!" he said sarcastically, removing forty silver coins from his pocket and handing them to the elf. "Let me show you some of the new armors I've been working on while Karen fixes up the boy."

And so Sora was left alone in the small shop with Al'tec's wife, letting the woman poke around his body with only a slight blush on his cheeks. He watched as she pranced her way over to a small desk, nimble fingers opening one of the drawers and removing some measuring tape and a spool of string. "Come 'ere child," she said, motioning the boy to her side. Sora wandered her way, coming to a stop a few feet away. "Well?" Karen questioned, looking expectant.

"…Er, yes?" asked the boy, unsure what the seamstress wanted.

Blinking her emerald eyes, the woman smiled brilliantly at Sora. "You have to take off your clothes so I can fix 'em," she stated; her red lips stretched to reveal overly whitened teeth.

Sora went impossibly red in about two seconds flat. "Uh?" was all the boy managed, looking completely lost.

"Strip."

Shivering, the keyblade master reluctantly pulled the small half jacket he wore off and handed it to the seamstress in tatters. He winced at the coat's state; covered in sand and ripped almost to shreds. Next came his shirt. It slipped over his shoulders easily, the blue material folding in on itself when the boy bunched it up and handed it over. Karen immediately flattened it out on the desk and tisked at the huge rip on its lower-back. "Child, what fouls have befallen you?" she asked, threading slender fingers through the many little rips in the material.

"It's a long story," Sora replied, hesitantly slipping the material of his long shorts down a bit. "Um…" The skin around his collarbone flushed after a moment, red seeping up around his neck and to his ears. "Could you just not do the bottoms?" asked the brunet miserably. He winced at the seamstress's tight stare.

Karen sighed at Sora's modesty, but she motioned towards a small booth off to the right. "If you're that worried then use the changing room… I've got no interest in a kid's body, though." She paused, and then added, "There's a pile of leather pants right near it, and to the left of that some cotton briefs. Not exactly comfortable, but you won't be naked while I'm working."

The boy hightailed it over to the fitting room; which was basically a small wooden stall with a flimsy sheet used as a blind. From the floor he grabbed a pair of pants off the top of a pile and the least itchy looking pair of underwear next to it before disappearing behind the curtain with a quiet, "Thanks," in Karen's direction. Sora changed quickly, sliding off his shorts and boxers with a suppressed shiver. He pulled the leather bottoms over his lithe hips and groaned, finding the material cold to the touch.

Sliding the sheet aside, Sora peeked out over the shop self-consciously. Being shirtless made him feel exposed, but the boy still exited his small stall and wandered over to where the seamstress sat, weaving a thread in and out of his jacket expertly. He wrapped his boxers up in his shorts and sat them on the desk next to her; his eyes bulged once they landed on his already repaired shirt. "Wow, you work fast!" he exclaimed, fingering the silky blue material with interest.

"Well I've been doing it for the better part of fifteen years," drawled the woman, dropping his completed jacket down on top of the shirt.

At the same moment Karen weaved her practiced fingers through the massive hole on the thigh of Sora's shorts a loud screech resonated through the shop. "Al'tec, you're a greedy old man!" yelled Morphinia, bursting through the door the two had disappeared behind not too long ago.

The elf was no longer wearing her stainless steel armor; instead the woman was decked in new complicated grab that left very little to the imagination. Sora immediately went red, cerulean orbs gliding over the blonde's figure unconsciously. Upon her shoulders wrapped metal feathers that had a curling white trim around the edges and were colored a deep lilac. From the trim descended steel straps which connected to a dainty top that appeared more like a bathing suit than a piece of armor. The metal here too was purple, with scrawling white feathers that spread from a large cream jewel secured tightly between the woman's breasts. A delicate silver string fell from the jewel over Morphinia's abdomen; curls of white stone clutched to the end of it and drew attention away from her bare stomach. Her bottoms were little more than a pair of lavender underwear made of metal, behind which was secured a strange steel object that looked to Sora like a skirt meant to protect the back of her bare thighs.

"-see how you can charge more for less," Morphinia was yelling, finally dragging the brunet's attention away from her basically naked appearance. After a tense moment the elf seemed to notice Sora's attention. She shifted her hip to the side and gripped it, lofting a brow. "What?"

Swallowing the lump in his throat, the boy muttered, "Why are you almost naked? Is that supposed to be armor? I don't see how it could possibly protect you."

Laughing, the blonde turned away. "One, you're half-naked. Two, you're supposed to wear chainmail under this; I was just trying it on. Al'tec here wants twenty gold for this crap, definitely not happening."

"Darling, will you fit the kid with chainmail while I finish this up?" sang Karen from her seated position, threading her needle in and out of Sora's underwear so casually that it made the boy flush. The seamstress did not seem to notice or care about the commotion around her, only tearing her eyes away from the boy's ruined underwear when her husband grunted haphazardly and snatched Sora away by the shoulder.

The armor, much to Sora's surprise, was lightweight and flexible. It was like a tank-top, and would easily be hidden underneath his shirt once he got his clothes back. Until then the boy was wearing the cold mail a long with the brown leather bottoms and his sandy, oversized shoes. Morphinia stared dully at the crown shaped pendant on his neck, shifting awkwardly in the drafty armor that adorned her body. "That new?" she asked, realizing she hadn't noticed it before.

"No," murmured the boy, gripping the necklace in his fingers. "I've had it for a long time."

Al'tec wandered around Morphinia and fluttered, dragging his greasy fingers over the price-tag hanging from her breastplate. "You know, we go way back, Elf. Maybe, for you, I could do fifteen."

"If we go oh-so-far back why are you calling me 'Elf', huh?" replied the woman coldly, swatting his fingers away. "And no, I could get three sets of my old armor for that much."

"But this is top grade stuff! Nothing would be piercing through it."

"Don't care," was all Morphinia muttered, and the same moment turning towards Karen. The plump seamstress stood from her chair and admired her handiwork (much to Sora's mortification, she was smiling down at his underwear).

With a grin she announced, "It's all done!" and showcased his boxers to the entire room. The white ones; with the hearts and ducks on them.

Morphinia was the only one who couldn't suppress her laughter. Especially because right at the moment the underwear went up Silintia walked into the room, and was now standing in the doorway looking quite aghast. "…I don't want to know," she whispered after a moment of hesitation. The mage sauntered into the room and stared at her best friend's outfit, raising a brow. "Just how much was that?"

"Twelve!" interjected Al'tec before Morphinia could complain. "I'll sell it for twelve gold!"

The white-haired elf looked incredibly bored, ignoring as Sora scurried off to change back into his repaired clothing. Twelve? That's an awful lot for a whole lot of nothing."

The shopkeeper deflated, casting the armor a rueful glance. "It's got great stats though. Incredible defense, great flexibility. The insides are lines with dragon scales; I'll swear nothing could pierce that armor. Those shoulder pads are made of phoenix feather's covered in steel. It's supposed to help your magic."

"I don't use magic," muttered the blonde, fingering at the feathers on her shoulder.

"Well, it protects from it too. So does that big jewel in the middle," Al'tec replied, glaring down his nose at the elf. Sora wandered out of the changing stall and surveyed the scene; Morphinia was shirking away from the old shopkeeper and Silintia was digging around in her pockets for something. A further search of the room showed that the seamstress had wandered away and left him alone.

Finally, Silintia produced a handful of gold coins from her pocket. "We'll take it," she muttered, "As long as the boots and wrist-guards are included."

"Of course they are!" said the shopkeeper in a sing-song voice. He wandered out of the room for a moment and then danced back in; holding in his arms lilac-colored boots and similarly painted sleeves. He deposited them into Morphinia's arms, causing the elf to groan and almost drop the bits of armor onto the floor.

Grumbling, she set them down gently and glared at Al'tec. "Thanks," muttered the blonde, shoving her bare feet into the metal boots and clamping shut the four massive silver buckles that ascended up the shoes. The armor rose all the way to Morphinia's knee, feathery looking steel covered her kneecap and in the dead center of it laid a small cream colored jewel similar to the one between her breasts. The elf inspected her new boots with a grin before picked up her new arm-guards and slipping them on too. While flexing her fingers, Morphinia seemed pleased that the metal did not creak the way her old armor did. She bent her elbow for extra measure; the feathers there bent silently with her arm. "It's beautiful. Thanks, Sily-One."

Silintia rolled her eyes; her own dusty robes seemed drab when compared to Morphinia's new shining armor. "Whatever," she muttered, moving over to Al'tec and dropped her handful of golden coins into his outstretched hands.

"Thank you, thank you!" exclaimed the shopkeeper, depositing the gold into his apron. "Anything else you fine ladies need?"

"No," started Silintia, looking out one of the shops windows and into the dark sky. "I think we've wasted plenty of time as it is. We really should be going. The night Zeppelin leaves not too long from now."

Without anymore words the group exited the small store; they moved together through the warm night and were completely unaware of the hazy emerald eyes that followed them.

* * *

**Note:** Give it up for 13k words, 27 pages, and over a week of work! I thought this chapter would never freaking end. Ugh. Well, I quite enjoyed drafting up Morphinia's new armor. It is really cute on paper! Also, omgyayrikushowedup. I know you were all waiting for it.

Well.

You get to wait longer!

Riku plays in and out of the story for a while, never remaining with the group for any long period of time until the second WoW arc. These are the last of my pre-written chapters, no denying I'll write more if you guys review more. :P!

**Translations: **

"This will do," … "The white-hair?" … "And him?"

As always, please review and tell me what you're thinking. I don't get many reviews so, you know, any would make me happy. Plus, I need criticism!


	6. World of Warcraft 5

**A/N: **Edited last chapter; a lovely reviewer noticed I was calling Sora fourteen even though this book is post-sleep. Fixed it, and now our darling hero is fifteen! Woo!

Anyways, I'm massively pleased with the feedback on the last chapter. Keep it up my lovelies :]

_Up ahead: The Zeppelin, The Banshee Queen, and some badass keybladin'_ _goodness._

**Through the Looking Glass**

Chapter Six

---

Flying on a gryphon, Sora figured, was somewhat akin to being in a dream. The heaving of the beast's massive wings, the roll of its trained muscles, the way the night-stained sands rushed by below them… it all came together to draw beautiful and majestic image that had Sora smiling dumbly by the time he landed upon a wooden platform in the middle of the desert. Riding the animal had not taken long, and shortly after they landed the boy heard another beast touch down gently; moments later the cold presence of Silintia could be felt at his side.

"Woo-hoo!" chirped Morphinia, her own bird touching down immediately after and chasing away the ice in her mage-friend's stare.

Silintia softened, throwing a quick, "When are you going to grow up?" over her shoulder before wandering over to the other side of the wooden platform. It was half-hearted, and the blonde elf only grinned happily in response.

Across the platform stood a small gremlin-like creature, holding a massive lamp in his tiny green hands and talking feverishly with Silintia. Sora approached with Morphinia at his side, curiously staring at the monster as the mage handed him two golden coins. "It's a goblin," the blonde next to him clarified, as if she could read his mind. "He's the one who sells tickets for the Zeppelin."

"Huh…" Sora started, wandering over to where the small creature was. "What exactly is a Zeppelin? Neither of you ever really told me," he said sheepishly, hands wandering over to the wooden railings that surrounded the platform and gripping them. He leaned onto it and peered curiously over the side.

Morphinia joined him. "The Zeppelin is a flying boat, basically. We'll ride it from here over to the Eastern Kingdoms, land in Brill, and mosey over to the Undercity from there."

The keyblade master took all of this in stride, pretending to know what his blonde escort was talking about. Silintia joined them after a moment, unabashedly having eavesdropped on the conversation. "He doesn't know any of those places, you know." She turned to address Sora, 'The Eastern Kingdoms are the lands that make up the continent across the ocean. Brill is a small town just outside of the Undercity where many newly risen undead live; the Undercity is sort of the undead capitol. You already know why we're going there."

"To meet Queen Sylvanas, find the keyhole, and save the world!" Sora exclaimed, jerking his fist towards the night sky's twinkling stars. Silintia smiled and nodded.

"Something like that."

Any chance at continuing that conversation was effectively ruined by the sound of massive blades chopping through the air. Sora jerked his head in the direction of the noise, squinting into the night air and catching the faint glow of lanterns in the distance. "Glad we didn't have to wait long," Morphinia muttered, pushing the boy gently to stand in front of a wooden gate on the side of the platform. The goblin unlatched it and pulled it open, squeaking in a foreign language that none of the group could understand.

Moments later Sora got his first look at a Zeppelin. It was a gigantic boat with a huge balloon-like structure keeping it floating in the air. A large propeller whirled through the air at its stern, shining blades catching the boy's eye in the darkness. When it parked at the platform the goblin stepped aside; Sora boarded the ship with a quaking stomach.

The deck was well-lit; golden lamps cast light hues over the wooden area and chased away the shadows of the dark. The area was completely deserted, and Sora assumed that anyone on the ship was probably already inside the cabin below. Stairs led down to the lower levels of the ship, while on either side of the entry there were steps leading up to the bow. The area where Sora stood was open air, and he loved how easy it was to see the stars in the sky.

"Just find a cot downstairs when you decide to," said Morphinia, descending down the stairs with little thought to her companions. The Zeppelin lurched away from the platform after a moment, smoothly flying high into the sky as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

Silintia moved to follow her friend downstairs, but she paused when she saw Sora wander over to the railing around the deck and glance up that the stars. He rested his weight against the wood limply, and appeared for all to be a thousand miles away.

"What are you thinking about?" asked Silintia, examining the lost expression on Sora's face in the golden lantern light. She could see longing as he looked out into the stars, and it stirred something within her.

The boy sighed, wringing his hands together and putting more weight onto his forearms as he leaned against the ship's railing. "I'm wondering if my friend's are okay," he said, imagining Riku's face in the stars. The mage wandered over to him, leaning her back against the side of the Zeppelin and breathing the clear night air deeply.

She sucked on her lower lip. "It must be very hard. Having heard your story… I know if Morphinia and I were in the same situation I would be worried sick all the time."

Sora nodded, smiling sadly at the thought. "I used to be. I guess I've just gotten used to the idea of Riku being lost to me… and Kairi? I don't even know. I think she has forgotten me by now, back on the islands."

"What's your home world like? Do you miss it often?" Silintia found herself asking. She turned her head towards the boy expectantly, and was surprised to find him looking completely lost in the sky.

The brunet sobered after a moment.

"Home…" he said, twisting his fingers. "I never have time to miss it, honestly. I'm always so busy trying to save myself or my friends. Getting myself caught up in some hopeless situation, and trying to find my way out of it. I rarely think about my parents. It's not that I don't miss them," he paused, sighing. "Right now I would give anything for a hug from my mother, or some advice from my dad. I just throw myself into whatever is going on, so there isn't time."

The boy wet his lips. "When I was on the Gummi Ship I always thought about it though. The island was such a wonderful place. It was beautiful, with ocean as far as the eye could see, and great beaches and everything you could ever really need. My friends and I would spend hours exploring; everything was like a dream." Silintia sighed at the serenity of the place he described. "Of all the things to do there, I think I liked most just sitting on a paopu tree with… Riku…" Sora trailed off, and after a moment the mage turned to smile at him.

For some reason, Silintia wanted to keep him talking. She liked the way he was while he was serious like this. The boy seemed to morph into a completely different person from his usual carefree self. "Tell me about Riku," she said, leaning on her palm.

Sora looked confused for a moment, obviously wondering what was making Silintia so talkative. He shrugged it off and decided to appease her. "Riku is… grounded. He's stronger than I am. He can fix anything and do anything, and though he gets on my nerves when he starts getting competitive, he is the best friend I've ever had."

"Is he hot?" someone asked from behind them. Morphinia slid up between Sora and Silintia, smiling brightly and leaning on her back. She didn't miss how the brunet boy went scarlet, sputtering incoherently.

Silintia sighed. "Ruining the moment as always, I see."

"It's my forte," the blonde explained, blowing a raspberry at her friend. "So, is this guy a cutie, Sora?"

The boy tried to fight down his blush, willing his neck and ears to turn back into their normal creamy color. "N-no," he said, "I mean… I don't know. I've never thought about it." He paused, before adding, "I guess he's not unattractive."

Morphinia seemed bored. "And? What's he look like?"

Uncomfortable, Sora sent Silintia an unconscious glance. When she made no move to come to his rescue, the boy resigned himself to girl-talk about his best friend. "He's got white hair and he's tall," said Sora, hoping that would be adequate. Morphinia didn't look satisfied though. She leaned closer and smiled devilishly.

"And?"

"…and…" Not really know what to describe, Sora decided to simply list the things he had noticed over the years. "He's got really deep green eyes, and his hair is long like a girl's. Of course, he looks more like a guy than I do… I don't know how. He's well muscled, and he's got pale-ish rosy skin. I have no idea what his blood type is, but was that detailed enough for you?"

Morphinia snorted, "Have you seen him naked?" she asked, wiggling her eyebrow exaggeratedly.

The boy's eyes bulged. After a moment of sputtering, he pushed away from the railing and turned off towards the cabins. "I'm going to bed," he said, face red as a cherry. "'Night."

Once Sora was gone Morphinia ceased holding back her laughter. "He sure is a spoil-sport, isn't he?" She said, shaking her head at Silintia. The mage looked faintly amused. "I was joking anyways; he didn't have to get all worked up."

"Ah," whispered Silintia. "But didn't you notice?"

"What?" Morphinia questioned.

"He didn't deny it."

The two elves could be heard cackling for quite a while after that.

* * *

"_Silintia, Morphinia. Good of you to join me."_

_Thrall still sat in his massive throne, watching with a pleased expression as the two elves wandered into his chambers on Sora's orders. _

_Silintia was the first to speak, sounding slightly offended that she had been offered up for a mission without anyone consulting her about it first. "What exactly is going on here, Lord? No disrespect, but do I not get a say in what missions I am to take? I have no desire to cart that human around any longer. What could you even possibly want us to do?" she asked, hand firm on her hip and brows thoroughly furrowed. _

_The Warchief smiled a toothy grin, waving a massive hand in the steamed elf's direction. "Calm down now, Silintia. I'm requesting you go on quite a simple mission, really. The boy must travel to the Undercity, and meet with that Banshee Queen Sylvanas. It is my belief that she can be of great assistance in his 'locking' of our world."_

"_Wait," said Morphinia, speaking up from behind her friend. "Everyone knows the Queen has strange ways that are… off. Sending Sora there could be the same as sending him off to a laboratory to be cut into pieces. How would that help?"_

_Thrall shifted. "Well, of course I'll be writing a letter asking her to keep him alive. But, I suppose, in the end it is the Queen's call."_

_For a moment the blonde elf forgot who she was talking to. "You're leaving it up to chance?!" she asked, doing nothing to stop the emotion from bleeding into her voice. "Don't we need Sora to stop the heartless? Order the Queen not to kill him; don't just let her decide." _

"_Morph," Silintia hissed, reprimanding the outburst with cold onyx eyes. _

_The massive orc before them shook his head. "It's okay, Silintia. I understand that Morphinia has bonded with the child. That doesn't change that fact that I do not outrank the Queen, and have no right to order her around. _Nor_ do I question her judgment. I doubt she would have the boy killed, but if she felt that in his death we could learn valuable information about saving our world then that is a risk that I'm willing to take." He paused, before adding, "You should put more trust in the decisions of your superiors." _

"…_Why us?" asked Morphinia, after having the decency to look mildly ashamed. _

_Silintia was curious about this, too. She turned towards the Warchief and waited expectantly, searching his weathered face for answers. "Because," said the orc, "just look at that little outburst you had. Obviously you care. Someone who will protect a human child is needed for this mission; regretfully, many members of the horde would probably just kill him." _

"_No promises _I _won't," muttered Silintia, looking displeased. "Morphinia is the one that cares so much. Why send me?"_

_Thrall actually laughed at this. "Yin and Yang, my dear girl. Someone needs to think clearly, and someone needs to react emotionally. You two have always been the perfect team, surely for that reason." He paused, looking with beady eyes at Morphinia, "Though who would know if that was the only reason."_

_The axe-wielder shifted uncomfortably, trying not to read into what the orc had just said. _

"_So," he continued, smiling down at the women. "Do you accept the mission?"_

_Silintia sighed, muttering, "I do," even though she did not desire to. Morphinia echoed her, crossing her arms over her chest and feeling odd about how Thrall had looked at her. _

_The massive orc was pleased by this. He reclined in his throne, looking up at the ceiling and nodding to himself. "Good, good," he mumbled, glancing down at the elves and appearing thoughtful. "And of course, once your mission ends you are free to do as you see fit," said the Warchief, winking blatantly in Silintia's direction. _

_She cocked her head to the side curiously, but dismissed the idea of reading into it and instead followed Morphinia out of Thrall's chambers with a new sense of purpose. _

* * *

Sweet honey hues fell through the port-hole above Sora's cot. The sun warmed his skin, making the boy roll contentedly onto his side and send his crumpled sheets cascading over the sides of his makeshift bed. He wet his lips, feeling close to consciousness but still clinging to the last shreds of a dream about star fruits and green skies. "Sora?" someone called from above him, but the brunet still tried desperately to stay with the familiar faces his mind had called forth in the night.

"Riku," the boy sighed, for a moment feeling as if he was back on the island and being woken up by his older friend after a long night of exploring. "More sleep."

The hand that shook his shoulder was far too gentle to be Riku, though. After a moment life caught up to Sora, and he was once again fifteen and lost; completely alone in the world without the people he cared most about. The boy sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and staring up at Silintia in the morning light.

"Hey," she said, smiling at the boy gently. In the sun she looked almost ethereal, her delicate hair pulled back into its ritualistic bun and her pert features almost glowing. "Are you okay?" asked the elf, wiping a cold finger down the side of the boy's cheek.

Sora realized it was wet there, and he shuffled back in embarrassment. "Yeah, yeah," he said, wiping his cheeks with the back of his hands vigorously. "I must have just had a bad dream."

The mage sucked her lip into her mouth and chewed on it, before nodding and turning away. "Of course," she said, rubbing the wetted pads of her fingers together and beginning to head up the stairs. "Anyways, we're almost to Brill, so gather your things and meet Morphinia and me on deck."

With that she was gone, leaving Sora alone in the mess of sheets and emotions he hadn't been open to in a very long time.

Wandering up the stairs, the boy caught sight of Silintia and Morphinia leaning against the same railing he had left them at late in the night. There were more people wandering about the deck this time, most keeping to themselves and their companions. The quite murmuring of two thin-looking orcs caught Sora's attention, but he could not understand their native tongue and quickly ceased trying to. The brunet slowly approached his elfin guides, taking in Morphinia's sleep-ruffled hair and Silintia's never ending state of perfection.

"Has anyone ever told you guys you're complete opposites?" he founding himself asking, peering over the side of the Zeppelin and realizing they were above a dense forest at the moment. Green trees whipped by below, and neither of the women responded for a few seconds. The three were lost in a trance-like state, which was broken only by Morphinia yawning sharply.

The blonde broke into a smile, turning towards her human friend and nodding. "All the time," she said, messing absently with her bangs. "But we aren't really all that different. _I_ enjoy killing stuff, _she_ enjoys killing stuff. In the end you don't need much more."

Silintia looked up. "Don't forget the witty verbose."

"That too," said the axe-wielder, breaking into a cheek-splitting grin.

Joining her, Sora felt very companionable with the two women at the moment. He felt like he did when Donald and Goofy were around, or when he had been with Kairi and Riku so long ago. The boy let his smile fade away; instead turning his face to the sun and feeling it warm his eyelids. The elves did not impose on his moment of serenity. They watched with interest as Sora tilted his head slightly and wrinkled his brows.

He sneezed, blowing himself off balance and stumbling back onto his butt.

Silintia rolled her eyes, pushing away from the railing and helping the boy back onto his feet. "Smooth," she murmured, dropping his gloved hand and looking off across the desk. Sora realized with relief that the Zeppelin was descending in the sky, the propellers slowly dying down from their constant churning of the air. Soon the entire ship was quiet, peacefully gliding down into the forest below.

"Here we are," called the chirpy voice of a small goblin; it scuttled up from the lower decks and raced over to the small gate that kept passengers inside. Sora's group crossed the area, looking over the side along with the other people onboard. The trees were slowly rising up to meet them, and somewhere in the greenery far ahead the brunet could faintly catch sight of a small town in the woods. Again he heard the chatter of the skinny-orcs; he pointed to their bluish skin and looked questioningly up at Morphinia.

The elf looked where he pointed. "Those are Trolls," she said, noting the blood red hair and light skin.

"Oh," replied Sora, feeling silly for thinking they were orcs. The beings did not notice the extra attention though; they seemed to be arguing and pointing deftly over the side of the ship. Glancing over as well, the keyblade master was slightly alarmed at how fast the Zeppelin was going down. "We aren't going to crash and die, are we?" he asked, raising a brow pointedly.

Silintia, who was also leaning over the side, shrugged. "Hope not, that would be a sucky ending to a sucky mission."

As if agreeing, the ship shuddered in the air. Sora felt his pulse quicken, but since neither of his companions seemed alarmed he did not worry about it too much. He could hear the faint sounds of birds chirping in the forest now; when he looked over the side he saw the tips of massive trees reaching up and trying to scrape the bottom of the boat. They slowed for a moment, before stopping completely in mid-air. They hovered for a moment, before plummeting down vertically. Fire heated the air in the ship's balloon and kept it floating, but to Sora it felt as if they were in free-fall.

The boy gripped tightly to the wooden rails, breathing deeply and trying to appear unaffected. Wind was rushing up past him, making his spikes fly vertical and his clothes flutter about. "This can't be normal!" he yelled over the air, squinting as his crown pendant whacked him in the mouth.

As quickly as it had started, the Zeppelin lurched to a stop. Sora stumbled against the side from the force of it. He twitched, knowing his hair was ruffled massively from the blow-dry it had just received and betting he looked silly.

Morphinia seemed to agree, giving him a quick once over and then laughing loudly. She smoothed her own short hair, tucking a few stands of yellow behind her ear before meandering over to the gate and waiting for the ship's goblin to open it for her. Silintia followed, looking completely unruffled by the fall. Sourly, Sora batted at his own spikes and joined them, looking out over the gate and onto the platform just beyond it. The blonde elf pushed her way out of the exit the moment it was open; Sora followed her with Silintia bringing up the rear.

This platform was different from the one back at Orgrimmar. The wood was dark, and a small building stood directly across from where they exited the Zeppelin. Instead of the sun burning down on them as it had in the desert, it cascaded through the trees and illuminated the forest around them with soft blue light. The sky above was clear; birds sang lively songs in the trees and animals could be heard skittering below in the foliage.

"Well, this is a change," the keyblade master noted, following Morphinia into the small building that stood across the stage. It was rutty looking, and no door held to the hinges in the entryway. Inside was dark, with no furniture and only a few windows into which ghostly light filtered sparsely. In the middle of the room stood a winding staircase; the blonde elf followed it down several flights before the group erupted on the ground level of the building.

They moved outside. Sora watched as the Trolls from before walked off in the opposite direction; the boy could see a small town in the distance which he assumed to be Brill. Instead of going that way, though, the group turned off towards the right and wandered into the trees. The forestry was not dense, but it was such a change from the atmosphere of the desert that Sora felt slightly overwhelmed. "Where exactly are we going?" he asked, if only to break the silence that seemed to have fallen over them.

From behind Silintia spoke up, sounding slightly winded. "A road leading to the Undercity is just up here," she answered, before falling quiet again.

Unappeased, Sora continued to follow Morphinia blindly in the woods. As the sun was filtered away by the leaves, the forest grew darker and darker around them.

_Glurrkkk_

Sora went red, feeling the juices in his empty stomach twist around. Morphinia glanced over her shoulder at him, raising both brows high and shaking her head. "After we speak to the Queen we should get some grub," she said, realizing the last time they'd eaten anything had been almost an entire day ago.

And even longer for Sora.

Sounding relatively pitying, Silintia agreed with the woman and picked up her pace to walk next to the young boy. Once beside him she patted his shoulder, "I am sorry. From a young age we were trained not to eat much. It helps with military rations and makes traveling long distances easier. You probably weren't raised like that," she muttered, retracting her hand and looking ahead. Sora glanced to the side at the mage, taking in her obnoxiously thin midsection with thinned lips. The elf looked almost sickly; she was definitely underweight.

"That's probably not healthy," he found himself saying, looking up to see if Morphinia was in the same horrible shape. Her new armor exposed her stomach, and from what the boy could see she was much better fed than her companion.

Noticing his attention, Silintia shrugged and looked bored. "I'm not that bad. It's part of being a mage; using magic burns oodles of calories. Even if I ate tons every day I'd still be thin… maybe not _quite_ so… but still." She poked herself in the side for emphasis, smiling crookedly at the boy before dropping her arms and stepping daintily over a branch.

Sora stumbled, foot catching it. He wavered for a moment, but did not fall forward.

"Congrats," called Morphinia, having eavesdropped on the conversation for a while now. "You're finally learning balance."

The three exited the trees laughing. They walked out onto a large dirt road, turning right on it and following it for a few minutes. Soon enough the companions came to a four-way-stop; a large pole was buried deep within the earth in the middle of the road, signs pointing out which way went where. Each one was written in characters Sora could not read, but apparently they told the group to turn to the left and continue on.

Not far down the road they saw the beginnings of the great city, which to Sora looked like a ruined compound. It was made of crumbling white stone, and though the walls were high the area looked completely deserted. "Not as impressive as I thought it would be," Sora said, shuffling forward along with Silintia so that they were side-by-side with their blonde friend.

"Just wait," smirked Morphinia, wetting her lips as they passed through a great arch and into what looked like a sort of grave-yard. Shattered stones littered the ground; buildings that were barely viable as rubble stood throughout the area. On the left flowed a small pond, over which a rotten bridge led to a closed off building that caught Sora's interest. The boy did not stray from Morphinia though; he passed over another sturdier looking bridge and into a great room made of marble.

The room was completely empty, but this did not seem to deter the elves. Turning to the right, Silintia took over leading the group. She walked them through another large room, inside which rested a great limestone tomb and two sword-baring statues. The elf bowed her head as she passed it, before exiting the room and walking through another barren hallway. They made several more turns after this, until Sora found himself completely lost with no idea how he would ever get out if they got separated.

Slowly, the group descended down a stone hallway at the end of which Sora could see a light-green glow. Once the floor had evened out the boy saw gigantic blue… things standing guard in front of a massive door that slammed open and closed and varying intervals.

"What the heck is that?" asked the boy, noting with alarm that both of the beings had their stomachs ripped out and spilling onto the floor. The head of one's axe was about the length of Sora's body, and it was dripping with a questionable smelling substance that made the brunet take a step upwind.

Silintia was the one to answer. "They're undead ogres. Pay them no mind, and they won't pay you any."

The stone door slammed shut again, making the hall almost shake with the force. When it sprang up Morphinia threw herself through it, dragging Sora along by the arm. Silintia took a dainty step through the door as well, barely blinking when it hit the floor a moment later. They were standing on a large circular platform, the room a great empty cylinder around them. "What's the point of th-"

Sora was cut off by the floor beneath his feet suddenly disappearing. He felt like he was floating for a split-second, until he too was crashing down with the platform deep into the ground. "OHMYGODWHATTHE-" the floor stopped dropping quite suddenly, and Sora landed roughly on his bottom.

Laughing, Morphinia pulled him up and rushed out of another violently slamming slab of stone. "It never gets old taking people here," she sang, raising her eyebrows at her perfectly composed older friend.

"Never," Silintia agreed, white hair lifting in the wind the slamming door forced out.

The keyblade master was still dazed, rubbing his butt which had been much abused on this trip. He was so busy mumbling sourly to himself that it took the boy many a moment to realize that he was now standing at the head of a great stone bridge; many people wandered past and the place was filled with the great roar of many voices speaking at once.

When he did notice, though, Sora's jaw dropped wide. "Welcome to the Undercity," said Silintia, motioning out over a great chamber that ascended hundreds of feet into the air and fell much deeper below. The bridge was made of white stone, and it dangled over a lake of green substance that the boy could not identify. Many arches similar to it all sprang from different parts of the chamber; each one ended up at an interesting structure in the middle of the lake.

"Wow," breathed the boy, examining how the building in the middle of the room was made of the same white stone everything else seemed to be made of. It had huge skulls carved into its roof; the deep eyes of the sculptures had fires lit in them and cast an eerie light throughout the city's main hall.

The group was standing on a sort of ledge. Many shops bustled with customers there; the occasional one shoving past Sora without so much as an apology or a second glance. The boy himself was speechless. He was too overwhelmed with the hulking ridges and green-spraying fountains that emptied into the lake below to care much about what went on around him.

Morphinia cleared her throat, tired of watching the brunet gawk. "Yes, yes, it's very _big_," she uttered, sarcasm dripping from her tongue. "Let's just get going, shall we?

And that's when it happened.

Having been driven from his reverie, Sora once again was shoved by a cloaked person hurrying to get to their next shop. Not pleased about it, the boy reached out and deftly grabbed the person by the shoulder. The person turned around; their face showing for a brief flash in the eerie light before they shoved Sora's hand away and moved sharply away. The figure hurried, but Sora was left staring in complete shock at the place it had stood.

He whispered something low; though neither of his companions were able to hear him. A second limped by, and then the boy tore out of his spot screaming, "Riku!" after the hooded figure. Sora was all-out running, leaving Silintia and Morphinia to exchange alarmed glances and take off after him.

"Riku, Riku!"

It had to be him. Sora had seen the face, and though it had been a brief glance, it had been enough. He would never be unable to recognize those deep emerald eyes or the silver hair; the chapped looking lips and strong jaw. These things were the things that made up his best friend, and there was no way Sora was missing him this time.

_How can Riku be here_? The keyblade barer wondered, reaching with gloved hands out towards the fleeing figure. "Wait!" he shouted, shoving people out of the way in his frustration.

Silintia and Morphinia were doing all they could to keep up, often spouting quick apologies to the people their crazed companion semi-trampled on his quest to get to his friend. "No!" they hear him scream, and Silintia looked up to see the figure he was chasing rushing over a bridge far away. Sora turned agilely onto the one nearest arch, springing through the air and down it in a single jump. He stumbled when he landed, pushing another person out of the way before ripping after Riku again.

"Where are you going?!" he screamed, knowing full and well he was gaining most of the attention in the huge room now. "Stop!"

The brunet was gaining on his friend now. Sora was so close that when his reached his fingers out he could feel the coarse fabric of Riku's cloak. "Stop," he groaned, managing to grip it for a moment before a random passer-bier shoved into the boy and pushed him back. "Move!" Sora found himself yelling, sliding past the person before springing up in the air and tackling the cloaked person with a full-body assault.

"Sora! What the hell?!" called Morphinia, rushing up behind the boy as he lurched the cloaked person over and ripped their hood off. An alarmed looking priest laid there, empty yellow eyes staring up at Sora in alarm.

The brunet sat back, breathing roughly and looking confused. "I don't… it…" he turned to look desolately at Silintia and Morphinia. "It was Riku. I swear, I saw him…"

Heaving, the blonde elf shook her head. "This place can play tricks on your mind, Sora."

"Maybe you saw what you wanted to see," added Silintia, looking forlorn.

Sora shook his head, standing shakily from the undead being. "It was him," he said with finality. "He must have done something… I don't know." The boy scratched the back of his head and then offered his hand to the priest; it slithered back on its butt and jumped up on its own. The being was gone a moment later, disappearing into the crown and leaving Sora downtrodden. "I'm sorry guys," he murmured, dropping his head and sighing.

Morphinia patted the boy's back, giving him a quick, "It's okay, we all make mistake," before stepping forward and pointing to a large archway not too far away. "We can get to the Queen's chambers from there. Let's go," she said, metal boots clanging on the ground as she set off without either of her friends.

Scurrying to catch her, Sora quickly returned to business mode. Something in the back of his head made him more alert now, trying hard to check each face that passed him by. They moved into a large hallway, the floors made of muddy colored stones and the walls painted black. The occasional vendor set up shop here, but most of their walk was empty and uneventful.

Soon enough the group approached another lake of emerald, over which a large arched bridge of wood was built. They walked over it with apprehension, Sora glancing into the murky water and seeing strange shapes that alarmed him. The boy trotted over the water quickly, relishing the feel of solid stone beneath his feet. "I thought I saw… faces," he muttered, shaking his head roughly and looking up towards Silintia.

The elf looked uneasy. "You did," she whispered in passing, grabbing the boy's wrist and pulling him along with her.

Queasy, Sora blinked rapidly back at the body of green water and blanched. The boy almost tripped, stairs catching him off guard since Silintia had not felt the need to warn him about them. "Oh!" cried the boy, catching himself with the help of the mage's arm. The elf wavered, but both managed not to hit the floor and only look like a pair of stumbling drunkards.

"Nice," commented Morphinia, standing in all her glory at the top of the stairs and smirking down at them. Hand on her hip; the axe-wielder looked like a blazing picture of coordination in comparison to her friends. Silintia glowered, pushing Sora off of her arm and ascending the steps with all the dignity she had left.

Which wasn't too much.

The group reassembled at the head of the stairs, straightening their clothes and appearances before approaching a pair of humongous double-doors with caution. Silintia was the one who stood in front of them, taking a deep breath before gripping a large black knocker and using all her strength to lift it. The steel object fell against the door sharply, sending a deep _clang_ resonating throughout the hall.

After a moment a deep voice answered. "Who calls upon the chambers of the Dark Lady?" it questioned, voice penetrating the door easier.

"Top secret business in the name of Lord Thrall, Warchief of the Horde," called Silintia, raising her voice and obviously straining to sound confident. She fumbled in her robe pockets before producing a small scroll, unraveling it revealed more jumbled letters that Sora could not translate. "Mission specific numbers 38725, in regards to a human born not of this world. Please allow entrance to two elves and said human; codeword: Darkstrider."

None of what the elf said made much sense to Sora, but apparently whoever was behind the doors found it satisfactory. The great wooden structures shuddered open, light splitting them down the middle for a moment until a room became visible behind them.

Sora squinting, stepping back momentarily as his two companions moved to enter the room. The boy hesitated, even as Silintia and Morphinia disappeared into the light. Something cold and evil wandered up his spine, making him withdrawal even more from the entrance. It felt… familiar. The brunet couldn't place the feeling though, and before he could ponder it anymore Morphinia's melodic voice cut his concentration. "Get in here, idiot," she called, now only a silhouette to his vision.

"Right," Sora murmured, furrowing his brows slightly before stepping forward as well. The chambers of the Queen were cold, and vibrated with a kind of lifelessness that made the boy feel empty. A circular platform sat alone in the middle of the room, made of white stone with gold-patterned steps leading up to it. Sitting alone in her throne atop the platform was the woman herself, shrouded in shadows and impossible to see.

The throne itself glowed brightly, white luminescence running up the sides and down the arm-rests. The back was tall, looming high into the air and sporting handsome spikes that would definitely hurt to touch. It was an imposing picture; one which Sora felt the need to shy away from.

"Come forth, if you have important business for me," called a soft voice, echoing throughout the cavern and grating against the boy's eardrums.

This woman… Sora did not want to be near her.

Unaware of their charge's hesitance, Silintia and Morphinia each placed a supporting hand on the boy's back and pushed him forward. They moved up the steps as a single entity, soon standing in front of the shadowed woman with their heads held high. Of the two, Silintia was the elf to step forward. She was illuminated by the throne, to the point that she looked as if she had become a part of the glow herself. "From Thrall," she spoke, dropped all honoraries in the daunting presence. The elf handed over the scroll her had been reading from; a skeletal hand reached out of the shadows and took it from her.

Shivering, the mage stepped back and unconsciously wrapped her hand around Sora's. It was colder than usual, and somewhere in the back of his mind the boy drew dark parallels comparing this woman to ice. Silence followed, thick and omnipresent. The Queen was apparently reading over what had been given to her, and after a moment she stood from her shadows and stepped forward into the light.

The Banshee Queen, Sylvanas, was everything and nothing that Sora had expected. Her skin was a sickly blue, eyes glowing a deep red and lips smeared purple in undeath. She wore a simple black dress, tattered at the bottom and ripped to expose one of her legs. Heavy shoulder pads protected her, with wrist-guards of simple dark cloth flowing down from her elbow and stopping just above her fleshless hands. She had an air of dignity about her, from the poise of her spine to her high-held hooded head. Sallow curls spilled over the woman's shoulders, and though she was not in armor she still wore a pack of arrows on her back.

Most notably, the Queen's ears tipped high above her head. Her hood had rips in it on both sides that they sprang from; each had several hoops pierced through the flesh.

"You are the one from another world," spoke the ranger, resting her bloody eyes on the quivering brunet before him. "I am informed you have brought darkness to our world," the Queen paused, before splitting her amethyst lips into a smile. "Well, more darkness."

Sora nodded, unsure how to hold himself when he was so acutely aware of every movement the woman made.

Sylvanas read him from her shadowed face, before looking up at the great ceiling above her and sighing. "And now you must lock our world to expunge this evil… I have been asked to help in this process. Tell me," she snapped back to staring at him, "how am I to do this task?"

Unsure, Sora wet his lips and looked away from the woman. "I don't honestly know," he answered, gulping. "Usually the keyhole just appears before me."

"…Interesting," mumbled the woman, turning her glowing eyes towards Silintia and Morphinia. "I'm taking charge of the child," she said, voice taking on an authoritative tone. "Your mission is over; you may leave us." Sylvanas paused, before adding, "Now."

Taken aback, Silintia gave Sora's hand a small squeeze and Morphinia resting her armored hand atop the boy's head. "Good luck," she whispered, releasing a tumultuous rush of emotions within the boy. They were leaving? Now? Just when they had all managed to become friends? Sora turned sharply and watched the women descend the golden steps, crossing the room quickly and giving him one last look before disappearing behind heavy oak doors.

Now alone, the Queen turned and sat back in her glowing throne. She disappeared in the shadows, her deathly eyes and a single bare leg the only parts of her Sora could see. "Was that really necessary?" he found himself asking, already missing his companions deeply.

"Of course," answered the ranger, smiling even though Sora could not see. "They would be in the way, otherwise."

Steel boots could be heard ascending the steps to Sylvanas' throne, but the keyblade master was so lost in the deep recesses of the Queen's presence he did not hear them. "In the way..?" he took a step forward, knowing something was no right with the current situation. Silintia and Morphinia were nothing but helpful to their superiors.

The Banshee Queen looked away, sticking a skeletal finger between her lips. "Yes… now, they aren't. And neither are you."

Someone gripped Sora roughly from behind, incapacitating both of his arms and wrapping a clothed hand over his mouth and nose. A quick intake of breath from surprise was enough, and suddenly the brunet's head was swimming. He made a groaning sound against the cloth, before losing feeling in his extremities and going limp against the rough body behind him. The arm that restrained him before went slack, letting the boy slump forward. Sora's eyes fluttered, and suddenly he was falling… falling…

The white luminescence of the Queen's chamber ran black.

* * *

"It's strange to be without him, isn't it?" asked Morphinia some time later, leaning her backside against a column outside of the Queen's chambers and pinning Silintia with an unreadable stare.

The mage hesitated, before dropping her shoulders and nodding. "But at least he's out of our hair, and your secret is safe." She paused, "Good riddance, I say. This entire escapade went on for far too long."

Morphinia laughed, her armor clanking from the force. "Silly-One, you aren't fooling me. You're going to miss him, just as I am."

"Maybe a bit."

Glowering as her blonde friend snorted, Silintia blew a chunk of fringe from her eyes and pursed her lips. "Drop the façade," Morphinia muttered after catching her breath. "Even Sora knew you liked him, and that kid is… well, he's an idiot. You can stop pretending to hate him now; we didn't have to kill him so it would have been all right to get close. I'm glad he's going to be okay, myself."

The white-haired elf nodded in agreement, turning her focus away from Morphinia and out over the large hallway they were in. They had left Sora quite a while ago, but leaving the Undercity had felt like abandoning him completely. Neither elf wanted to admit it, but they were both hoping their assistance would be required once again with him.

"Excuse me," someone called from their right; a hulking undead priest dragging a large black sack shuffled into view from a pair of large amber doors and pointed at the elves. "I overheard you two talking. Any chance you were referring to the kid with the weird hair and clothes? The young human?" The priest's empty yellow eyes pinned them for a moment, and Silintia shirked away from the deathly gaze in distaste.

Undead made her uncomfortable.

"Yeah, what's it to you?" asked Morphinia, tongue darting over her upper lip.

The priest shrugged. "Just thought I'd update you. Queen Sylvanas ordered him to the Apothecarium for immediate testing."

Silintia nodded slowly, sliding into a slightly defensive stance. "That is why we brought him here. It's top-secret business, too. So don't go sticking your nose into places it doesn't belong." She shivered at the monster's smile. It started hulking away, dragging the bloated bag on the ground behind it.

"I was an elf when I was alive," the priest mused, sounding slightly offended. "And I was only telling you since you two were musing about how glad you were he got to live. Far be it from me to impose on your naivety."

Morphinia pushed off of the column; steel boots resounding sharply on the concrete floors as she slowly followed the undead being. "What do you mean?" she questioned, raising a brow. At the same moment a snag caught the bag the priest was lugging; the material ripped open and out spilled piles of limbs and flesh. The axe-wielder took a quick step back, covering her mouth and bulging her eyes. Silintia joined her, wrinkling her nose in disgust.

"The hell is that?" murmured the mage, examining what looked a lot like a twitching finger.

"That," started the priest, seeming amused, "is what awaits your friend for testing. What did you think would happen?" It shook its head and murmured a mending spell. The contents of the bag slithered back into hiding, rip fusing back together as if nothing had happened at all. "Well, see ya. Sorry 'bout the kid. Maybe he'll go quick? Or there might be enough of him left to rise again as an undead."

The priest paused before shaking its head. "Well, probably not."

With that it wandered away, leaving the two elves in similar states of disbelief. Silintia was the first to break from her spell, snapping her jaw back into place and sending a panicked glance at Morphinia. The blonde was gawking at the place the priest had been, her mouth moving slowly as if she'd forgotten how to speak. Finally words spilled out, "He's going to die? We... brought him to his death?" Shaking, the elf stumbled away from her friend and grasped the wall, breathing roughly.

"We knew this was a possible result. We can't control what the Queen decides is the best course of action…" Silintia attempted to console the girl, clasping her shoulder warmly and looking downtrodden.

Morphinia didn't seem to hear the mage. She continued to murmur "Oh god," over and over, looking confused.

The taller elf whipped her friend around, shaking her shoulders violently and shouting, "Snap out of it!" The blonde blinked a few times, absinthe eyes wandering up to Silintia's long face. "You're being silly. This was our mission, we knew the risks." White brows furrowing together, the mage looked away. "This is why I did not want to get close."

"We have to do something…" was all Morphinia replied, pulling away from the elf and looking around desperately. "And we have to do it quick," she added.

Silintia turned back sharply. "What can we do?! We can't go against our mission."

They stood there in silence, breathing harshly together. The blonde started shaking, her eyes welling slightly. "Don't you care? At all? That boy doesn't deserve any of this," her voice cracked, lines of wetness trailing down her cheeks. "He's so much better than this world." Morphinia fell back against the wall and slid down it, drawing her knees into her chest. "This is an evil place."

But Silintia did not hear her. The elf was far away, thinking back to their encounter with the Queen, and even the orders Thrall had given them.

"_And of course, once your mission ends, you're free to do as you see fit."_

She had assumed the sly wink after that was an illusion to something only the great Warchief's mind could work up, but now she wasn't so sure. "Morph… when we were with the Queen, didn't she say our mission was complete?"

The blonde looked up, her eyes red and cheeks blotchy. "Um…" she started, seeming confused. "I think so? …yea, she did." Morphinia hiccupped, "Why?"

"Because I see fit to save that idiot. Let's go."

* * *

Sora awoke suddenly, passing swiftly from the sleeping world to the waking one. He blinked, eyes still bleary and mind spinning. "What happened?" he gasped, realizing his arms were chained roughly behind his back.

"You're awake, that's good…" a deep voice responded from in front of the brunet. "I feared they might have given you too high a dose of the Chloroform."

"'M dizzy," the boy muttered, blinking rapidly. Wherever he was, the light was sharp and green tinted. Slowly his sight came back; the figure in front of him proved to be a dark-haired man, clothed in warrior's garb with a large smile in place. "Who are you?" he asked, still unsure of what was going on. "And… what is Chloroform?"

The man's smile became wider. "Dizzy is normal. My name is Richard; these filthy undead nabbed me on an ambassador's mission here from Stormwind." He paused, and then added: "And Chloroform is what knocked you out. Don't worry about it too much."

"I'm Sora," the brunet said, even though he hadn't been asked. He sat up and looked around; they were together inside of a large cage made of thick metal bars and sealed with such powerful magic even Sora could sense it. Outside there were more cages; each housed a few humans or strange blue creatures. Since most were sleeping, the boy turned his attention back to Richard. "What happened to me?"

Sitting back on his haunches, the man shrugged and sighed. "They probably nabbed you from somewhere, do you not remember?"

Feeling dull, Sora searched his memory. "The last thing I remember was being with the Queen… then, well, nothing.."

"With the Queen? That's interesting…"

The keyblade master looked up at Richard's face, taking in his features with interest. The man was surprisingly young looking, with deep brown eyes and mousey hair of a matching color that fell into his face. He looked rough, with a five-o-clock shadow that was days overdue and several scrapes on his cheeks. The human wore expensive looking armor made of white steel, with complicated golden patterns covering his breast and running down his sides. Many emptied weapon holsters clung at his hips and legs, and Sora assumed this "Richard" was a great warrior.

"So how do we get out?" the boy asked, falling right past freaking out and straight into business mode. "If you can get my arms free I'll have us out of here in a jiffy."

Richard cracked a smile, brown eyes going soft. "I wish, kid. All that magic pressure isn't coming from the cage; it's from your bindings." He paused, laughing. "You must be some kind of badass to need binds like that. I _wish_ I'd get a chance to see that in action."

Sora blanched. "I forgot Silintia told the Queen about me…" he shifted his hands around and wondered if he'd ever get to go more than a day without them being shackled in this world. The boy briefly considered if maybe his elf companions were the reason he was here, or if they knew this would happen. Sighing, Sora dismissed the notion and stuck to his usual blind faith in people. "So then what _do_ we do?"

The older male shrugged, sitting back against the thick bars and looking out over the room. Sora did too, finding that they were in what looked like a mad-scientist's dream laboratory. It was a very large room; cages similar to his only took up a small portion of it. Directly across from his pen hung rows of corpses, suspended in the air via meat-hook. Organs and blood slowly oozed from ripped out stomachs, and Sora quickly turned away from the sight in disgust. In the middle of the room stood a large glass container; inside it purple-tinted water bubbled around the peaceful looking form of a human girl.

On each side of the tank were tables. The left one sported a bound and half-dissected ogre, its insides cascading from the slab. Sora turned away; sure he couldn't bare to see anything else. "I'm gonna be sick," he murmured, feeling bile rise in his throat.

"Yeah," Richard said, sighing. "If I make it back home the atrocities committed here will not be forgiven."

Sora looked up, suddenly understanding Silintia and Morphinia's vivid distaste for the Undead. "If?" he asked, sucking his lower lip into his mouth and worrying it.

The warrior sighed and popped his jaw, sliding onto his butt and resting an armor-clad elbow on his knee with a _clank_. "Well, I still haven't figured out how I'm getting out, and the bastard who brought you in here said that empty table is for me. My options aren't too great right now."

Worry pitted itself into Sora's stomach. The boy struggled to his knees and shuffled over to Richard, his cerulean orbs sliding against the other male's for a fierce moment. "It won't come to that… we'll find a way."

Taken back by the boy's intensity, Richard only nodded. Sora joined him vigorously, before slumping back onto his butt and smiling. "Just gotta figure out exactly what way," he said, laughing.

After a moment the older male smiled too, relaxing. "You know, you should be focused more on saving your own tail. This isn't the place to be worried about other people."

"Eh," Sora muttered, tipped his bead back and examining the ceiling. "It's sort of my thing."

Richard smiled. "No complaints."

The sound of slamming doors alerted them to the presence of others in the laboratory. A group of undead beings in white coats wandered into the room, one of them heading towards the cage the two were housed in. "I thought we'd have more time," mumbled Richard, furrowing his brows sorrowfully. Sora didn't like the look of morbid acceptance that fell onto the man's features; he struggled over to the man and tried to think of something to say. "Any chance you came up with a plan?" Richard asked, laughing lightly as if death wasn't walking towards him.

"Try to overpower it when it opens the door?" Sora offered, watched as decaying hands pulled open the metal barred gate.

A hulking undead scientist lumbered into the cage pointed its finger at Richard. The grayish skin there was engulfed in a blue light, and suddenly the warrior slumped over onto his side and was still.

_So much for that plan,_ the boy thought, feeling helpless. Sora was to his feet in a second, hurling himself at the corpse and thrashing violently. It wasn't the best plan, but if it delayed the monster even a moment then it was worth it. The scientist threw Sora to the ground with little trouble, giving him a quick kick to the ribs to keep him down. It muttered something unintelligible and moved to grab the unconscious man, ignoring Sora's weak protests of, "Please, stop it."

As Richard was pulled from the cage, the brunet realized there was absolutely nothing he could do without his arms. At a loss, Sora began screaming at the top of his lungs in hopes that the scientist would not be able to work with the noise. Many of the inhabitants in the other cages awoke from the racket. Some looked at him as if he was crazy, and some of the ones who had been confined for far too long joined him in the yelling.

"Shut _UP_!" barked the scientist, glowering and throwing Richard's dead weight to the side. It lumbered back into Sora's cage and pointed at him, its finger glowing a familiar blue.

Clamping his eyes shut, Sora waited to be forced into unconsciousness. Seconds went by, then moments… hesitantly the boy looked up.

The scientist was still standing there, pointing blankly with its eyes glazed over and lost. A heartbeat later coagulated blood sprayed over Sora; the monster fell to the ground and revealed a manic looking Morphinia, double axes held high in the air with blood dripping down their steel. Splotches of the substance were splattered on the woman's cheek, and even though it was one of the scariest things Sora had ever seen he couldn't help but cry her name.

"Morph," he choked out, voice almost breaking from relief. "Youhavethebesttimeingever," he rushed, lurching to his feet and rushing towards the woman.

The blonde laughed, "I know. Breath."

By the time Sora was standing next to his companion, he realized she was not the only one who had come. Silintia stood atop the stairs that led to the exit, throwing fireball after fireball at any scientist that tried to approach her. "We're springing you out, kid, let's go!" she yelled, looking smug as a flaming corpse ran into a wall and screamed.

The boy was eager to comply, but something held him back. "What about the others?" he asked, looking out at the other desperate people all clinging to their cage doors.

Morphinia sighed. "We don't have time for this," she muttered, but still wandered out of Sora's pen and over to another. A methodical swipe of her axe was all it took, and the door popped open. As the elf repeated the process at each cage, Sora wandered over to Richard's unconscious form and started prodding him with his shoe.

"Wake up," he hissed, shoving at the warrior's broad shoulders. "Come on!"

A rouge fireball flew past Morphinia. The blonde yelped, feeling her hair singe from the heat. "Watch out, you idiot!" she yelled, turning towards Silintia and shaking her fist.

Silintia was in the middle of helping a small gnome up the stairs. She looked confused, before a huge ball of fire flew at her too and set her lower garments on fire. The mage screamed, stomping it out and whirling towards the door. A hulking man stood there, skin rotten and hair sparse. He wore goggles and a white lab-coat, with black rubber gloves pulled up to his elbows and large boots of the same material on his feet.

Most notably he was holding two flaming swords and looking very, very angry.

"What have you done?" the scientist glowered, taking a step down the stairs that led into the lab. Silintia was on her feet in a split second, motioning for Morphinia to continue releasing prisoners. She pushed the small gnome behind her legs, holding her hands out adjacently and willing fire to spark within her palms.

The living corpse took another step towards the woman. And another, and another. They were less than five yards away from each other, when suddenly the man shimmered and disappeared, reappearing a second later right in front of the mage. Silintia gasped, taking a sharp hit to her breastplate and flying back across the lab. She slapped against the glass tank in the middle of the room, the force sending a large crack up the container. Amethyst water began spraying out over the elf; her eyes crossed for a moment and she barely heard Morphinia call her name.

"Just keep at what you're doing," Silintia groaned, shuffling to her feet and glaring harshly at the scientist. This time when he shimmered she was ready for it. With a lilac glow around her feet, the mage propelled herself into the air and summoned a fireball. The undead being appeared where she had been a moment before, and the elf let gravity drop her sharply on top of him. "Surprise!" she screamed, cocking her arm back and slamming the fireball onto the monster's head.

The scientist seemed unaffected, instead grabbing Silintia's boot and swinging her across the room again. The woman crashed into some boxes with a groan, but was on her feet within the second it took him to shimmer to her. Flashing, the mage used her speed spell to side-step the being, moaning at a sharp pain in her side.

The two continued this strange dance. Silintia would run somewhere at super speed, the undead scientist would shimmer there and swing his massive swords, and she would barely escape with her head. Frustrated, the mage threw herself away from the monster's flaming weapons and hurled another fireball it. The undead being shimmered away and the ball flew off into a rack of test-tubes. A small explosion followed, knocking both Silintia and Sora onto the ground from the force.

Richard groaned under Sora's weight, finally coming to. "Am I dead?" he asked, squinting at the boy on top of him.

Sora rolled off, bound arms aching. "No," he mumbled, motioning to the raging fire the explosion had started with his head. "But there is still time."

"Great."

Morphinia had finally finished unlocking all the cages. She rushed towards her battling friend, ready to defend the mage with everything she had. The scientist and Silintia shimmered in front of her for a moment, but by the time the blonde elf swung her massive axe through the air they were already across the room. Silintia ran as quick as her aching legs would take her, at some point whipping out her staff and using it to block the corpse.

She took a ragged swipe at him, missing and hitting thin air. The man shimmered away, reappearing across the room and then disappearing again. Silintia took off, running straight at the wall and sprinting up it. The scientist shimmered below, and she flipped herself over him before crashing her staff against his neck. "Die!" she cried, feeling him turn and wrench her weapon away from her.

"No," muttered the corpse. "You've taken all my beautiful test subjects. You must _pay_."

The scientist cracked her staff over his knee, before resummoning his swords and chopping at Silintia. She dodged, barely, and flew across the room to where Sora was. In passing, the elf screamed a quick, "I hate you!" in the boy's direction.

Sora would have laughed if he wasn't too busy trying to get Richard off of the ground. Morphinia had deemed the battle too taxing, and had taken to helping them out. She was currently supporting the majority of the man's weight, trying to get across the room without running into the crazed scientist in the process.

A large crash resounded through the chamber. Sora looked up in time to see Silintia crumpled against the wall, struggling hard to stand.

The scientist advanced on her, his large swords quaking in the air above her head. "Silintia!" the brunet boy yelled, watching in horror as the swords came down. Morphinia looked just in time. Shock spread over her features, quickly bleeding into relief when no blood sprayed over the room.

"Sil!" she cried, unsure what to do with the mostly dead-weight that was Richard. The monster stepped away, revealing a bleary looking Silintia with a small gnome in her lap, holding the chunks of her broken staff up to stop the swords. "Holy shit," was all Morphinia could manage at that sight. The gnome was the one Silintia had been helping, and now it was working to wake up the mage while the scientist was still confused.

Finally the elf fluttered her eyes and stared at the small female. "Thank you," she murmured, mouth feeling dry. The corpse seemed to have gotten over the shock of the moment; it slammed its massive swords down at the gnome and would have killed it if Silintia had not quickly pushed the woman out of the way and smashed her foot into the scientist's scathed face.

The mage lurched onto her feet, recast her speed spell, and flew away from the monster. It shimmered after her, chopping angrily with the flaming swords and occasionally throwing a fireball.

"I'm getting tired of this!" Silintia cried, dodging another swipe. She sprinted across the room and paused, before throwing herself into the air and lurching to the left. The monster appeared a second later. When he realized she wasn't in front of him he looked up, and was unable to see the mage had landed on the ground a few feet away. "Plume shot!" she cried, a beautiful lilac bow made of pure energy appearing in the woman's hands. She cocked her arm back and let loose an arrow. It too crackled and twisted, mixing with powerful swirls of electric blue and deep black.

The energy arrow crashed into the scientist, sending him flying across the room and into a cage. Still at super speed, Silintia flew after him and was above the corpse in no time. Dead flesh was smoking where the arrow had hit, but the being still writhed on the floor and reached up towards the mage. Angry, Silintia crashed fireball and fireball into the man's face.

She did not stop until long after he had ceased moving. Morphinia called the elf's name hesitantly, and when Silintia pinned the blonde with her cold onyx gaze the girl shivered. "This place is going to burn to the ground," yelled the axe-wielder, coughing.

Sora and Richard were already at the door. Morphinia waited at the head of the stairs, motioning desperately for Silintia to follow them.

Smoke made it hard to see, but finally the white-haired elf got a grip of herself and wandered up the stairs. Once at Morphinia's side, she looked sheepish. "I sort of lost it for a second," she said, clamping her fingers on her side and wincing. The blonde sighed and looped her friend's arm over her shoulder, helping lug the woman up the stairs to where Sora and Richard stood.

The group wobbled out of the laboratory, took two steps, and came face-to-face with a horde of undead.

"Aw, hell," muttered Morphinia, dropping Silintia's arm and readying her axes.

Sora shifted his hands and sighed, wondering if this would end up with him on the sidelines again. The chains pulled taunt for a moment, then fell limp to the ground at the boy's feet as if they had read his mind. Confused, the brunet looked up at the group. Silintia was beaming, her fingers glowing a light blue in the air. "You're taking my spot for this one, kid," she said, wincing. The white of her robes had run red under her right arm. She was paler than usual (which was a feat in and of itself), and her limbs were shaking something fierce.

Nodding, Sora turned forward to the mass of corpses and shot his arm out. He called forth the keyblade, enjoying the feel of magic coursing through his veins and concentrating into the palm of his hand. It burned for a moment, and then the boy felt the cool and familiar feel of the keyblade's handle between his fingers.

"I've missed this," he said, glaring up from under his lashes at the horde. A malicious glint sparked in his eyes, and within a split second the boy threw himself forward and lurched off of the ground.

His companions watched, mystified, at how the laws of gravity did not appear to apply to Sora. He arched in the air, curling his gangly limbs forward and crashing into the middle of the mass of undead. The force of his keyblade landing on the concrete sent ripples of energy out; they knocked over many of his enemies as he stood. A moment later the brunet was swinging the blade out in a semi-circle, biting hard into the rotten flesh of anything in his way. The boy's crown pendant swished lazily as he methodically destroyed large numbers of the monsters with ease.

Morphinia raised a brow, adjusted her axes, and decided she didn't want to miss out on this action. The axe-wielder threw herself into the battle, completely decimating anything in her way. She could not match the beauty in Sora's movements, but together the two of them made a fountain of coagulated blood what would have been majestic if it wasn't disgusting.

"Morph!" Sora called, swiping a large group out of the way. "Go stand with Silintia real quick," he threw himself off of the ground again, flipping backwards through the air and landing directly in the middle of the horde. Hundreds of undead swarmed him, but the elf listened and evacuated the mass.

Standing there, none of the monsters dared to come too close to the boy. Sora smiled a soft, crooked smirk, before raising his keyblade diagonally in the air and shouting, "Gravity!"

A huge black bubble engulfed Sora and the entire horde. Taken aback; Silintia, Morphinia, and Richard all tried to see what was going on inside. The sphere began to constrict, flattening itself onto the ground. Morphinia made an alarmed sound, stepping forward and reaching out to touch the black surface. Just before her fingers came into contact, the bubble popped and dissipated into the air.

Still standing in the same position, Sora looked up at his companions and smiled his trademark smile. He looked much too carefree and happy to be where he was, which was standing in the middle of a sea of crushed and twitching dead bodies. The brunet wandered through the muck, stopped in front of his friends, and dismissed the keyblade.

"What did you think?" he asked, scratching the back of his head self-consciously at the slack jaws he received.

Morphinia's eye twitched. "How long have you been able to do the black bubble thing?" she murmured, looking very frazzled.

The boy laughed. "Long time!"

A second later the blonde was crushed against Silintia's chest and fake-sobbing as she crooned on about how he could have easily killed them when they first met. The mage simply patted the girl's back, looking slightly green with envy. Inner Sora did a little dance at that, remembering oh-so-long-ago when he had looked that way at her.

Richard wasn't as shocked as the other two. He gave Sora a large thumbs-up, smiling and saying something along the lines of, "I knew you were badass."

The brunet nodded, feeling very gratified to finally be able to show off. "So," he started, looking out over the puddle of undead, "What do we do now?" Silintia and Morphinia exchanged looks, before Richard popped up next to them and offered his opinion.

"I vote we get the hell out of here."

Nodding, Morphinia laughed. "I second that notion," she said, sliding her axes into place on her back and turning towards the older male. "But how do we get out of here?"

A second went by, and then the three all blurted, "Orb of Translocation," at the same time. They nodded, leaving Sora staring at them with a raised brow.

"Do I need to know?" he asked, looking at the three as if they were insane.

Richard shook his head, smiling. "No, not really."

The brunet turned around and marched off to the right, saying, "'Kay then," over his shoulder. Silintia's fingers on his arm stopped him. Sora looked up at her with questioning eyes, feeling embarrassed when she turned him to the left and said,

"You're going the wrong way."

They marched off down the hallway, knowing every turn would lead into more battles and even more peril. Sora rubbed his stomach, realizing with a twang that he had never gotten his promised meal. "Hey," he called, earning three inquisitive glances. "Think we could stop for something to eat before battling our way through hordes of dead people and getting out of here?"

* * *

**Note:**

"I watched you change... and you, it's like you never… had wings."

Sexist song on Earth. D:

What I listened to a lot while writing this chapter. Anyways, as for the story, anyone feel like I'm rushing it? I kind of do… a bit, maybe. I'm not sure. Yesss. I know they act like a group of idiots together. I've told you before, this story doesn't take itself too seriously and you shouldn't either.

Well, I have news for you all.

RIKU IS COMING.

Soon.

Next chapter.

And he's staying for a while, too. Huhuhu.

Finally.

**Answering some questions**:

deludedfreak: Yes, L will most definitely be alive in the Death Note world. In fact, I am very amused by the Death Note plot; I won't give any spoilers except to say that yes, Raito is the bad guy… briefly. I'm afraid you won't like it too much if you don't like L/Raito. But, it's also a very short world and it doesn't come in for a while yet.

BrokenPsychopath: Silintia already likes Sora. She just isn't like Morphinia in showing it; that pretty much was explained in this chapter already. The animosity dies down a lot from this point on… plus, both elves have someone new to hate. Haha.

Annnnnnyways.

_**REVIEW**_. Please? :)

(with a cherry and whatever else you want on top?)


	7. World of Warcraft 6

**A/N:** I am a very happy little writer. It seems the story has taken off slightly in the review department… All I can say is thank you so very much to every single person who has reviewed thus far. You guys are the reason I get my lazy ass up and try hard to make a great tale. World of Warcraft arc 1 is getting close to its end. There are only 4 or 5 chapters left… I can't believe I've even made it this far!

Reviewers are to blame. I am such a little review whore. Ily all! xD

Anyways. This chapter explains what Riku has been doing for all this time. It's rather short in comparison to the previous chapters, but that's because I decided to cut it away from the other part that catches up with Sora. If I left them together it would be a monster chapter… haha.

_Up Ahead: Riku, Riku, Riku, and did I mention Riku??_

Through the Looking Glass

Chapter 7

---

Following Sora wasn't really that hard. Riku had been doing it for months; ever since the boy had awoken from his year-long slumber the older male had shadowed him with the attentiveness of a concerned mother. Bouncing after him from world to world, staying lost within the darkness; Riku had done everything within his power to keep the younger boy from realizing just how far from grace he had fallen. From seeing the horrible face Riku now had to wear, just to be strong enough…

But that didn't mean he was ready to disappear from his friend's life.

So, Riku left hints. He let Sora catch just the quickest glances of him. He tormented the boy with the knowledge that he was just outside of his grasp. Just a little too far gone to be saved.

And that was the problem, really.

At first leaving little hints was sufficient, but soon Riku was wanting more. He followed closer, stayed longer, observed with more intensity. And it still wasn't enough. Sora would disappear for weeks at a time aboard that stupid ship of his, leaving Riku to fret about his safety and wonder if some form of hardship had befallen the boy. So he came to a simple solution…

Use his Portal to Darkness to board the Gummi Ship briefly and make sure Sora was okay.

It was a good plan, and worked for a while. The problem was Sora's presence, which was so vibrant throughout the entire ship that Riku found it hard to leave. At first he was staying for a few minutes, then a few hours. The next thing he knew he was spending nights holed up in the cargo bay, listening to Sora's chipper voice laughing along with his friend up above. It was melodic, and Riku was usually lulled to sleep by it.

One such evening, when the teen was contently falling into the darkness of his own mind, he heard strange happenings above. The Chipmunks… whatever their names were, were making an unusual amount of racket.

"What are you guys on about?"

Sora's voice floated down through the ceiling, jolting Riku awake. He tried to listen to the conversation above, but for the life of him he couldn't turn the jumbled squeaks of his friend's pilots into actual words. From what he could hear of Sora's side of the conversation, there was something outside of the ship worth looking at.

The people above, completely unaware of Riku's presence, moved around the cockpit quietly. Sora was saying something about a black hole, and the duck he traveled with had apparently come into the room as well. "What's going on," he wondered aloud, craning his neck to look up at the area above his head.

**Turbo Boosters activated. Initial power redirected from main engines...**

"The hell?" Riku stood from the box he was lounging on, pacing across the room and feeling antsy.

**Five…**

The room was starting to shake.

**Four…**

Sighing, Riku clenched his fists. He didn't know if he should reveal himself and try to help out, or stay hidden in the lower decks.

**Three…**

He could feel the ship swaying. Up above the group was making a horrible commotion.

**Two...**

Someone cursed, but Riku couldn't tell who.

**One.**

The cargo bay jolted, sending the teen stumbling to his knees. He could feel the ship flying forward at an intense speed, but he had no idea what was going on. Sora was screaming, and it made something deep in Riku's gut twist. The boy went quiet after a moment, right after a loud _bang_ reverberated through the floors. "Sora?!" the silver haired teen yelled, knowing no one above would hear over the commotion. Goofy had come into the cockpit by now, and Riku hoped that the level-headed guard would help his young friend.

"…I think we're going to make it out…!"called one of the chipmunks; voice so sharp that the teen could actually mildly understand it.

That's when it happened. Something inside of Riku twisted, sending spasms of pain out through his arms and legs. "Ahh..!" Sirens were blaring throughout the ship, but he couldn't hear them. The boy clutched his pulsing chest, curling forward and pressing his forehead onto the cold floor. Everything inside him was curling and changing; it was unbearable. The lights went out in the cargo bay, but to Riku's surprise his skin was letting out a slight luminescence. He groaned, dropping his head back and letting a scream be ripped from his throat.

The pain seemed like it would never end, but after a moment his breathing evened out. Riku was shaking, and unsure what had happened. Listening to the voices above, the teen tried to figure out what was going on. He couldn't hear anything over the sirens...

"ABANDON SHIP!"

Never mind. Looking up in alarm, Riku registered one of the chipmunks as the screamer. The shuffle of feet could be heard rushing out of the cockpit. If something was going on that would require abandoning the ship, then it would be best to open the Portal to Darkness and slip away unnoticed. The teen focused, breathing deeply and willing the portal to open. A lengthy moment limped by, and then another, and after a second Riku realized nothing was happening. Silver brows furrowing, the teen again tried willing his portal to open.

Nothing happened.

"What the hell…" he murmured, breathing harshly and again focusing on the darkness within. He wasn't feeling anything; it was like everything had been sucked out of him when the ship began to shake.

There was a loud crash above, followed by a quick jolt.

**Ejection command received,** purred a woman's voice, sending shivers down Riku's spine. They didn't know he was here, he couldn't open his portal… he would be left.

The teen kicked into survival mode, jumping off of the floor and rushing across the black cargo bay. Lights were flickering on and off, the blare of sirens still making it hard to think. He located an exit and sent it flying open with a swift kick; the door bounced against the wall as Riku rushed through and flew up the stairs behind it two at a time. He heard the safety pod eject, but pushed all panic to the back of his mind.

Bursting through another door, Riku's eyes were assaulted by blinding light. He blinked, shaking his head a few times and stumbling forward. His eyes adjusted quickly, and the silverette found himself standing inside the ship's sleeping quarters; three large cots were left empty with soft looking sheets spilling onto the floor. Riku ran through quickly, pushing out of another large door and flying out into the main hull.

He was shocked by what he saw. Sora was still there, lying on the floor with alarming amounts of blood spilling from a deep gash on his head. Riku rushed to his side, grabbing the boy by his shoulders and giving his a quick shake. "Sora!" he yelled, brushing the brunet's blood-weighted locks out of his face and looking closely at the laceration. "Wake up, wake up…"

The boy didn't show any sign of regaining consciousness. Riku sighed, gently positioning him back on the floor and running his fingers absently through Sora's hair. "It'll be okay," he murmured, quickly standing away from the boy and turning back towards the cockpit.

Doors opening with a _whisk_; Riku entered into the area and was shocked by what he saw. The huge glass windows at the head of the ship revealed that they were rocketing straight towards the deep expanse of a massive planet. Shocked, the silver haired teen rushed towards the controls and began mashing buttons. Nothing happened, and when Riku pulled the steering wheel hard to the left the ship showed no sign of reacting.

"…Fuck," the teen whispered, jerking more forcefully. He dropped the wheel and stepped away, ignoring the whole new slew of alarms that began going off as they approached the planet. Riku covered his mouth when flames began flying over the ship's nose as it entered the atmosphere; the silverette took two steps away and looked down.

Sora's blood was on the floor, and Riku found his heel slipping in it. He blanched, trying to keep calm even with the sirens screaming and the red beacons flashing. The teen ran back through the doors, wandering over to his unconscious friend and dropping to his knees. He already knew that the Gummi Ship only had one safety pod, and now that it was gone he didn't know what to do. Riku's dark magic wasn't working; it probably had something to do with when the ship passed through the black hole.

Sighing, the teen reached forward and pulled the peaceful looking Sora into his lap. "I'm sorry," he whispered, burying his face into the boy's soft spikes. "I've failed you…"

The ship began shaking even more fiercely than before. Riku gripped Sora tightly, hoping the younger boy was having a sweet dream that he wouldn't wake up from. The older teen was fine with facing whatever was to come alone. He breathed deeply, dropping his head back and staring up that the ceiling. Surprised, Riku realized that the Gummi Ship had mirror ceilings, and the person holding Sora on the floor was not Ansem… but Riku.

"I changed back?!" he yelped, almost dropping the boy from shock.

Riku smiled, examining his own creamy skin. He was glad that at least if he was going to die, it would be within his own body and with Sora at his side. The teen pressed his face back into his friend's hair, holding tightly to keep the boy from being moved too much as the ship began to break apart. Riku could hear metal screeching as it was ripped away in the atmosphere; the smell of plastic burning was invading the boy's nose and he wrinkled it in distaste.

Fire eventually erupted into the hull, whipping in from the cockpit and filling the room with smoke. Riku coughed, using the leather sleeve of his Organization XIII cloak to cover Sora's mouth and keep him from inhaling too much smoke. The doors that led to the control room had sprung open; looking out the head of the ship, Riku saw that they had passed through the atmosphere.

The ground was rushing at them. With a sad smile, the teen wrapped his fingers around Sora's and focused on the rate air entered his lungs. The smoke hurt, but he had felt worse pains.

A massive shudder went through the ship, and Riku realized this was probably it. He tensed unconsciously, a million thoughts rushing through his mind at once. _I shouldn't have taken so long, I should have told my parents I love them, I should have helped Sora more… _

The ship exploded.

Instead of blinding lights and burning pain, Riku found himself and the boy in his arms shrouded in darkness. They were falling rapidly through thin air, and after a moment the older boy realized that somehow he had activated his Dark Shield right before the explosion. Riku felt tears prickle in his nose; he shook his head avidly and tried to fight off the waves of relief as he plummeted towards the ground.

The shield shook violently when it met with the sands of the Barrens; loose debris scattered in each direction as the shelter went down and left Riku cradling Sora protectively. The two were sitting at the bottom of a massive crater, with bits of earth raining down on top of them and soiling their already dirtied clothes.

Staying silent for a while, Riku tried to figure out which god to thank for saving his life. He didn't know why his powers had come back, but he felt stronger than ever and he even still had his own body.

"We're very lucky guys," he whispered to Sora, shifting the boy in his arms and wincing at the glaring sun. They had landed in what appeared to be a great desert; as the two had free-fallen to the ground Riku had seen miles and miles of sand in all directions. Except for a small town, but the teen had no idea how to get there from where he sat now. Absently wiping sweat from his brow, Riku shifted Sora out of his lap and gently set him in the sand. "What do we do now…" he pondered, glancing down at the unconscious boy and gnawing his lower lip.

The teen struggled to his feet, bending to pull Sora over his shoulder as he did so. He wavered in the uneven sand, before slowly crawling out of the crater and heaving his surprisingly heavy young friend back onto the ground.

"Geez," Riku muttered, breathing heavily from the effort. "What have you been eating?"

Sora grumbled something incoherent in his sleep. The blood seeping from the wound on his forehead was drying, but large amounts of sand had gotten into it and it worried Riku greatly. The teen sighed in exasperation, bending down after a moment and lugging the brunet back into his arms. Carrying him bridal style, Riku set off in a random direction and hoped he could find some help.

It didn't take long for the teen to realize he wasn't getting anywhere. His arms ached from holding Sora, and the horizon didn't seem to change as they moved. Orange skies melded flatly into yellow in one direction, and mountains reached high into the air in the other. Riku moved towards the mountains, blinking slowly and feeling groggy. Sora was making more sounds now; it wouldn't be long until the boy's eyes opened and he reentered the waking world.

Realizing this, something twisted in Riku's stomach. He stopped in his tracks, imagining how Sora would react to his Organization cloak and Soul Eater.

"I…" he started; looking at the innocence in the boy's sleeping face. Riku didn't want to imagine it twisted with anger or betrayal… he didn't think he could bear it. The teen shifted his friend and ran a thumb over his cheek, smiling distantly and exhaling. "…sorry…"

Riku moved to set the boy down, having every intention of discarding any evidence of his past evil-doings. Just as the brunet boy slid into the sand, something dark flashed in the orange sky above the boys. Riku looked up, squinting past the burning sun and into a slowly forming black point in the sky. He cocked his head to the side, wrinkling his brows and stepping back from Sora. "What the…" the teen started, fingers unconsciously gripping the zipper on his coat.

The dot grew larger, and Riku wondered if another ship was crashing into the planet. He watched deftly, shocked to see that as the darkness grew it bled through the sky and began to blot out the sun.

Something wet dripped onto the teen's cheek. He automatically dabbed at it with his fingers; under examination something wet and black was smeared over the boy's hand. "…Um…" he muttered, staring in confusion. More of the substance began to fall from the sky; soon it was raining black goo over the entire desert. Riku shuddered, pulling off his coat and draping it over the unconscious Sora at his feet.

The dark storm continued for a few minutes; as the sky opened up the blot in it began to grow smaller. Riku ran his fingers through his hair, grimacing as it squelched and became waterlogged. "This is a very strange world," pondered the silverette, shaking his hands in disgust and watching as the sky slowly ran back to its original orange color.

Now the sands around him were pitch black, and everything seemed to be marred with the substance. Riku chewed on his lips, unsure what this phenomenon could mean. He stood there awkwardly, before bending down and removed his coat from Sora's body. The teen pulled it back on, fist finding its way to the hilt of the Soul Eater at his hip. Something uncomfortable was working up his spine; the onyx sands put him on edge.

Suddenly the sands began to rise up; taking on familiar shapes that Riku's trauma-ridden mind couldn't quite place. He stumbled back, realizing it wasn't the sand rising but the black substance. Slowly malleable bodies formed, with jagged ears and empty yellow eyes, and began slowly meandering towards the teen.

"_We came for you we found you we feel you…_"

Voices permeated Riku's mind, echoing maddeningly throughout the teen's head. "…Heartless," he whispered, feeling the air rush out of his lungs.

"_We came for you we came for you wecameforyou…_"

Riku gripped the sides of his head, falling onto his knees and letting a scream be ripped from his throat. He didn't understand what was going on, but the voices in his head were screeching wildly and driving him up the wall. The teen clenched his eyes, ignoring how the beings of darkness all converged on him. They were all over him; tiny claws scratched at his hood and raked over his skin.

"_We'll follow you_," the voices hissed, making Riku wince.

The teen clenched his teeth, feeling something tear at his cheek. "No," he gasped, comprehension flooding his mind. "Why would you follow me?!"

"_The darkness; your darkness… we need you… we followed you…_"

This was all his fault? He brought these evil things to this world?! Riku raked his dull nails down the side of his face, wishing to cause himself harm. Why on earth had he decided staying secretly on the Gummi Ship was a good idea? He was so stupid… and now he had brought the darkness to this new world?

Riku stood suddenly, shaking all the clinging heartless from his body. "I don't want you! Leave me!" he shouted, emerald eyes turning to ice.

"_...Master…_"

"NO!" screamed the teen, pulling out his Soul Eater and smashing it wildly into the nearest bodies of darkness with rage. "I am not your master! Xemnas… someone else." The heartless recoiled, their wide eyes regarding the teen with interest.

The voices started again. "_He never controlled us… you're powerful, evil… We will follow you."_

Riku dropped his head back, closing his eyes and feeling the sun on his face. "Am I really that evil? That you, the definition of it… want to follow me?"

He was surprised he had fallen so far; he hadn't known.

"_Yess…_"

Shaking his head, Riku swung the Soul Eater through the air. A line of darkness materialized where it sliced, and the teen stepped towards it. He willed it to open more, before slipping half his body into it. "Find your own master…" mumbled the boy, casting a stricken glance to where the innocent and pure Sora laid. "Hurt the boy and I will destroy you all."

With that he was gone, leaving Sora to wake to a clean and empty desert.

* * *

_I shouldn't be here…_

Riku was an idiot. After he had left Sora in the desert, he had realized what a mistake it was. Hours later he managed to work up the guts to go back and face the boy, just to find his brunet friend was long gone. Only scuff marks remained in the sand, and the wind had already begun blowing them away.

Finding the boy hadn't been hard, but watching him be treated like a lowly prisoner had. The two elves angered him something fierce; had Riku not been too ashamed to show his face, he would have quickly freed the boy from their evil grasp. Honestly, he didn't understand why Sora wouldn't just conjure the keyblade and break free. It probably had to do with the boy's tendency to avoid any and all forms of violence if at all possible. Riku could tell his friend was already forming amicable feelings for the mean blonde one, and trying just as hard to create a connection with the cold white-haired one.

He wasn't sure why they took him out into the desert, but Riku followed at a safe distance anyways. The teen fought through the violent winds, and at midday when they suddenly ceased the silverette tipped ungracefully into the sand and got a faceful of dirt. He struggled on though; occasionally slipping into his dark portal and enjoying the solace inside the nothingness.

When night came along, Riku observed as the group set up a small camp. And that's where he was, crouched down in the desert sands and watching the group interact. They seemed rather companionable now, and it irked the teen something fierce.

"It doesn't matter," he reasoned to himself, letting his words disappear into the lilac sky. The teen didn't really understand why watching Sora laugh along with people who would do him harm made him so angry, but he felt a quiet kind of rage work up his spine. Riku decided it really _didn't _matter, since as soon as they all went to sleep he would free the boy from their grasps. "Not even a bit," murmured the boy, sucking his lip into his mouth.

Apparently Riku's plans didn't fit along with Sora's, though. Not too long after the elves dropped off to sleep, the brunet boy could be seen creeping up from his spot like a sneaky little mouse. Not even five feet from the camp, Sora broke into a spit-fire run off into the distance. The blonde one didn't stir, but the colder elf immediately bolted from her curled up position and jumped to her feet. Riku heard a curse on the wind, and watched in surprise as the woman spoke a soft chant that set a deep amethyst glow to her feet. She took off after Sora, racing through the sand as if it was the solidest of surfaces.

"Shit!" the teen cursed, scrambling to his feet and taking off after the two. He ran right past the camp; the blonde elf didn't seem at all bothered by the obnoxious sound of his feet slamming through the sand.

Catching up wasn't easy. By the time Riku got there, the white haired elf was standing directly in front of Sora with a blazing palm, speaking in a low menacing voice that Riku couldn't hear over the distance. He did hear his young friend though; Sora was huddled in the sand, sounding stressed but surprisingly calm. "I don't want to fight you, Silintia…"

"Like you could!" screamed the elf, apparently named Silintia, as the fire in her palm came to life.

Riku tightened his fists, completely enraged that this woman meant to cause his friend harm. He wanted nothing more than to see her removed; to do it with his own hands. Apparently something else registered his rage. A movement in the darkness caught the teen's attention, and soon enough he realized there were heartless rising out of the sands behind him.

"_We will destroy her, master…_"

Gripping his head in pain, Riku let out a silent scream. The voices echoed through his mind again, and filled him with a cold, twisting fear.

"_For you_."

The teen fell to his knees, letting a few hot tears sear down his cheeks. "I'm not…" he started, but the heartless weren't listening. They rushed past, heading across the sands and soon enough overtaking his young friend and the boy's captor. Sora shoved the woman out of the way, screaming, "MOVE!" while summoning his keyblade and attacking the bodies as they rushed him. Riku was shocked by this, even though the logical part of him knew the keyblade master would never willing let someone fall in to peril.

The two were quickly overwhelmed though; Silintia disappeared under a wave of the monsters while Sora tore through their malleable bodies with feverish intensity.

Remaining on his knees, Riku tried desperately to dispel the voices from his mind.

"_Can't you feel it? We're dying for you…_ _master…_" the voices were screeching in his head, and when they weren't forming coherent words they were simply letting out a dull roar that made it impossible for the teen to think. He continued to grip his temples, staring hard as across the sands Sora attempted to rip the heartless off of Silintia.

The boy was already partially covered as well, but his attention seemed to be completely on the woman crying on the ground. "…don't…" Riku rasped, unsure who he was talking to now. But Sora wasn't listening, and neither were the heartless. They continued to converge on the two; the voices in his head screamed along happily, and to their wild chorus the brunet boy ripped the last monster away from Silintia and stumbled back, dropping his keyblade in the process.

"Get away!" the boy roared, and suddenly he was engulfed in blinding white light. Riku recoiled, surprised to find that the voices in his head went silent as the luminescence bathed over him. After a moment Sora's body stopped glowing, and he crouched down in the sand while blackness swept over his skin. The boy let out a guttural sound before rearing up and throwing himself towards the heartless around him. Claws biting through their soft bodies, the dark teen howled and efficiently decimated the numbers around him.

Crushing the last straggler under his blackened foot, Sora whipped his head back around to where Silintia was standing and began to lumber forward. Riku shivered at the sight, finding that even though the voices had stopped he was unable to motivate himself to intervene. Part of him wanted to see the young friend rip that evil woman apart, but another, smaller part, was terrified by the crooked steps Sora took and the dark expanses of his skin.

"Sora…" Riku heard the elf whimper, scooting backwards away from the boy.

Her voice apparently registered, because after a moment Sora tipped forward into the sand and shimmered back to his normal self. He groaned loudly, and Silintia rushed to his side in a heartbeat. "Are you okay?" she asked, fingers fluttering over the boy's form.

"…I've been better…"

Riku pushed himself to his feet, sickened by how tenderly the elf helped Sora to his feet. Breathing raggedly, the teen called forth his Portal to Darkness and stepped through, taking solace in the silence that rang clear there.

* * *

After that night Riku stopped following Sora's group. He was scared, in all honesty, that he would again cause a heartless attack and have to watch the keyblade master become filled with darkness.

Sora was too pure to be like that…

So he went to Orgrimmar, and immersed himself within the culture of this new world. Finding answers was as easy as joining that table of drunken elves all talking politics; he fit in, even with his hood high over his ears and inability to speak their native tongue.

"It's those Alliance mother_fuckers_," one spit, spilling his drink into his lap. The elf didn't seem to notice, though, instead whipping his long black ponytail over his shoulder and continuing. "…that are to blame! If they would just die…"

A small blonde elf slammed her drink on the shoddy wooden table the group was at. "Hell yeah!" she burped, nodding enthusiastically.

The male one continued, obviously stoked by her encouragement. "Then everything would be great! No more _war_. 'Can't even remember the last time I saw my maw.."

Riku took a gulp from his own drink, sliding his chair back into a shadow and examining the group he was with. The small blonde and loud one aside, two other people were with the group. One was a massive green beast, which he'd learned was called an Orc, and the other was another elf with whispy brown hair and calculating eyes. It too stayed behind a hood, so Riku couldn't quite tell its gender. "I'm curious…" started the ambiguous elf, noticing the teen's scrutiny. "Why is your hair white? I thought only the Great Silencer had white hair."

"Don't know," he replied instantly, scooting his chair away from the table and standing up. The blonde elf looked sad, reaching up at him as if for a hug. "I'm afraid I must be going…"

Questions weren't good. From what intelligence he had gathered, Riku was a human and humans were the enemy. This explained why Sora had been taken prisoner, but why he was being brought to this strange city Riku had yet to figure out. He wandered away from the table, crossing through the packed bar agilely before slamming its weak wooden door open and bursting outside. He was in a place called the Drag, and had been staying there for the last day. The lack of sunlight made him feel at home, and he seemed less suspicious when sticking to the shadows.

Fumbling down the set of stairs that led up to the bar's door, Riku plopped himself down on the bottom one and sigh. He buried his chin into his palm, realizing he had probably had a bit too much to drink with that last group.

"Mind if I join you?"

The teen looked up, surprised to find the hooded person from his table wandering gracefully down the stairs. "The air in there is just too stuffy," it explained, pulling its hood down and regarding Riku with dark green eyes. A woman, with blonde ringlets of hair falling over her shoulders, was revealed to him.

Nodding lightly, the silverette patted the stone next to him and tried to hide his exasperation. He knew from observation the members of the Horde were a friendly bunch; coldly turning her away would seem out of place. "My name is Alurian, by the way," the elf spoke, taking a few more dainty steps before dropping down solidly next to him. "I never did catch yours."

"It's Riku," he mumbled, letting his attention fall away from her and back over the dark street before him.

Alurian made a sound in her throat, sliding her fingers together and wetting her lips. "That's a nice name…" she said after a moment, obviously vying for the teen's attention. Riku sighed, turning towards her and putting on his best _I'm-Friendly _face.

"So is yours. It's really beautiful."

_Charming, charming, go for charming… _he thought to himself, letting a self-satisfied smile fall into place on his lips. "So did you really come out because it's too stuffy in there?" The teen scooted closer, boring his eyes into hers pointedly.

The elf went scarlet. "Uh… I…" she began stuttering, apparently at a loss for words. "…No."

"I didn't think so."

Riku examined the elf's flushed cheeks, cocking his head to the side and doing his best to seem appealing. She was probably in her twenties, and the fact that she was so bothered by him despite the age difference did something for the teen's ego. "Then why did you come?" he pondered aloud, letting his head fall back. His hood stayed in place, but shifted slightly to reveal more of his face. Alurian stared appreciatively, and Riku realized she was probably more intoxicated than he had assumed.

After a moment with no reply and elf smiled, tilting her head to the side and rolling a tendril between her fingers. "Your hair. I was curious about it."

Laughing, the teen scooted away again. "That's it?"

"…Yeah."

Riku shook his head, turning back to the street and resting his elbow on his knee. He dropped his cheek into his palm, using it as leverage to look at the drunken girl. "I'm afraid I don't have any interesting story to tell you. I was just born with this color…"

Disappointed, Alurian stood from her spot. "Oh," she murmured, sucking her lip into her mouth. "I was just wondering, since I've heard the stories about Silintia. She's the only elf I've seen with hair like yours."

The silverette paused, looking up awkwardly at the elf. "Silintia? Is that the Great Silencer?" he grinned, before adding, "…What stories?"

"You don't know?" Alurian seemed surprised, lofting a hand onto her hip and jutting it out. "How could any self respecting elf not know?" The girl fingered her cloak, and Riku had to suppress the paranoid urges in his mind that screamed she somehow knew. He had been acting the part perfectly… there was no reason to worry. "I s'pose it's because you're _not_."

Blood running cold, Riku immediately shot to his feet and ripped the girl out of her casual stance. He laced his upper arm around her throat before she could even scream; the claws that dug into his ambiguous coat bothered him not. "How do you know?!" the teen hissed lowly, not expecting a reply since he was quite effectively crushing her windpipe. Still the girl struggled, shifting violently against his chest and gasping loudly.

"Ugh.. I…" Spittle ran down the edge of her mouth. "I'm on… your side," she gasped.

Riku didn't drop her, but he did loosen his grip. "I'll ask again; _how_ did you know?" His voice took on a dangerous tone, making Alurian go rigid.

"You didn't know about Silintia, you kept your hood up at all times. I was just…" she struggled a bit against his hold, "taking a guess in the dark. I didn't think it would pan out." The elf, or, Riku supposed, human, began coughing. "Please don't kill me, we're on the same side!"

Sighing, the teen finally dropped her. Alurian hit the stone stairs solidly; she groaned from the sudden fall and clenched her eyes. "…Here," she muttered after a minute, shaky hands traveling up to her pointed ears and removing their creamy colored tips. "Wear these and this won't happen again… I have extras, you can take them." She deposited them into Riku's outstretched palm, breath coming out in sharp exhales.

Once he had slipped the small devices on, the silver haired boy regarded her with questioning eyes. "Why are you here?" he said after a moment, feeling a slight pang of guilt as she rubbed the forming bruises on her neck.

"Recon. Word has spread throughout the Alliance of strange happenings within the Horde. Prince Richard sent me to see what exactly was going on." Alurian struggled to her feet. "And what about you?"

Riku shook his head, turning away and taking a step down into the street. "That's not your concern. But know this; we are _not_ on the same side. Now," he glanced back, indicating the bar with his head. "Go back to your business. I won't give you any trouble, and I hope the favor will be returned."

Alurian nodded absently, turning back up the stairs and wandering away. Just before entering the bar she turned back, glaring down at the teen. "Whatever you're here for, I hope it's worth it."

She disappeared into the glowing door, leaving Riku alone on the street. He ambled across it, finding a lit window and setting his back against the wall near it. A few minutes later a group of three walked by; Sora trailed behind the white haired devil and her axe-wild friend brought up the rear. They passed without seeing him, and it brought a smirk onto Riku's lips. "Oh," he murmured, emerald orbs following the brunet, "It is."

* * *

Riding the Zeppelin had not been fun. It was cramped and small, and the open quarters made him feel vulnerable. Sora could have found him at any time, and the hissy fit that would follow _that_ made Riku shiver despite himself.

Getting aboard wasn't a piece of cake, either. The teen would have loved to just use his portal, but stepping out of it onto the ship's deck would have brought him too much attention. He was forced to port to the bottom of the boat, and physically haul himself on board. No one had been on the deck at that time, seeing as he'd been clinging to the bottom on the boat for a good hour and a half while listening to two people laugh like idiots.

Once he finally did get on board, only more trouble befell the teen. He couldn't stay on deck, because Sora was liable to wander up at any time. On the same note, the boy was obviously downstairs asleep. Riku didn't know if he was sly enough to get down there without being caught, but part of him found the idea of being in such close proximity to Sora seductive.

Only a small part, though. Most of him was freaking out.

Eventually the teen talked himself into doing it. He pulled his hood tight, and inched down the stairs slowly. When he entered a large room filled with cots, Riku was relieved to see Sora sprawled out over one with his eyes sealed and a dreamy smile on his lips.

The relief was short-lived though, because the only cot left open was right next to the boy.

"God, what did I ever do to you?" the teen whispered, taking a moment to glare at the wooden ceiling about him. He sighed in defeat, gripping his hood even tighter and moving through the room like a ghost. Riku sank down slowly into the cot, wincing as every squeak it made deafened him and threatened to wake Sora. The brunet didn't stir though, and once Riku was firmly on the bed he found sleep irresistible. He pulled the sheets over his head; the soft pillow felt like heaven and the constant sound of Sora breathing was a comfort.

Riku found he was actually glad he had no idea where they were going. Maybe he wasn't able to teleport ahead, but at least he could enjoy the serenity of the moment.

He surrendered to his dreams with a smile.

* * *

"Riku?"

_Oh god he's found me it's all over… oh no oh no oh-_

"Five more minutes…"

Riku breathed an inaudible sigh of relief. He had been sure Sora somehow had realized the cot beside him was currently occupied by his long-lost friend. Apparently the boy had just been dreaming; and probably a strange dream at that.

Grinning a wicked grin, the teen continued to feign sleep.

* * *

As soon as he had figured out where they were headed, Riku used to Portal to Darkness to get to the Undercity. It wasn't that he didn't like following the group, but watching them act like friendly companions didn't sit right with him. Something had happened in Orgrimmar to facilitate the change; it bothered the teen something fierce to not know what it was.

So he went ahead. The teen ended up in a massive stone chamber, standing on a marble walkway over a green lake and gaining most of the attention in the room. "What're you looking at?" he grumbled, scoffing and moving up the bridge. Riku was actually amazed by what he saw; fountains sprayed out into the lake and in the center of it a massive building with a glowing skull atop it stood. The silverette could appreciate the architecture. It's deathly and dark composure made him feel right at home.

What he didn't know was that he wasn't quite as far ahead of Sora's group as he thought. Riku wandered through the crowds of undead like he had all the time in the world; all the interesting sights had him stopping and gawking like a schoolboy.

The teen was so preoccupied that he didn't notice the time fly by. He continued to deftly wander through the crowds, and in passing he caught sight of a young elf performing a small magic show at the edge of the walkway. He stared in interest, craning his head back to watch even as he moved forward. Riku was so engrossed that he slammed right into a defenseless passer-bier; when he turned to apologize his eyes landed right on Sora's shocked face.

_SHIT._

Whipping away, the teen quickly through himself into a throng of people in front of him. Maybe Sora hadn't seen… maybe…

"Riku!"

Clenching his fists, the boy in questioned broke into an outright run. "God damnit," he cursed, shoving people out of the way without stopping. A glance over his shoulder revealed that Sora was in hot pursuit; the brunet screamed his name repeatedly while catching up on him.

Fingers gripped onto the back of his cloak for a moment, before Riku heard the younger boy let out a pathetic, "…Stop…"

The teen lucked out. Someone shoved Sora away in their own hurry, and he fell back into the crowds. Riku took a hard left, jumping onto an arched bridge and rushing down it. "No!" he heard his friend yell, but the silverette paid it no mind. "Where are you going?! … Stop!" Sora briefly disappeared into a group of people, and Riku used the moment to his advantage. He grabbed an unsuspecting priest and threw his cloak over it, shoving it in the direction of the arched exit and shouting:

"Run, or I'll kill you!"

It didn't waste a moment, ripping through the crowd of people. Sora hadn't noticed that change; he was so focused on the cloak he shoved Riku aside while unconsciously yelling, "Move!"

The boy sprang into the air and tackled the teen's replacement. Wincing, Riku was relieved he hadn't been forced to take the brute of that. The elves sprang up beside Sora and began chastising him; the priest looked completely shocked and the boy seemed stricken. Riku stepped back into the crowd, letting himself disappear into the flow.

"Sorry," he whispered, knowing Sora wouldn't hear.

* * *

**Note:** I know it's short. Sorry! I've already got most of the next chapter written. Leave lots of pretty reviews and I'll be sure to post it lickidy split!

(also, sorry for the delay on posting this. life; it gets in the way)


	8. World of Warcraft 7

**A/N: **Lots of action in this chapter, along with teary reunions and… things I can't tell you about. Baha. You're all going to hate me for this one. :D Anyways, I enjoyed all the reviews I got and hope to see even more. I thrive on all feedback I get. It's like a kiddie at Christmas every time my inbox says new email. I appreciate it!

Well. It seems basically everyone who has read this has never played WoW. I'm glad everything seems clear to you all. I worry a lot about my descriptions of the scenery; I hope it all seems as beautiful as it really is. And next chapter will have lots of answers to lots of questions that have been subtly raised throughout these first 8. :)

**EDIT:**Sorry for all the uploading and reuploadnig. Had some glitches that needed fixing.

_Up ahead: Reunions, Battles, and a nasty landmine. _

Through the Looking Glass

Chapter 8

---

Making it out of the city had been much easier than expected. They met few enemies, and those who did cross their path were woefully equipped and taken by surprise. Making it up the elevators had been tricky; a massive ogre had been waiting for them with two large hammers and a wicked smile.

"Plume shot!" screamed Silintia, a mystical array of purple and blue energy flying from her cocked fingers. Morphinia threw herself in along with the arrow, two massive axes aimed at cleaving flesh from the monster's bones. She agilely avoided taking a hammer to the ribs, twisting through the air and slashing at the being's already spilling stomach. Greenish juices spattered across the elf's face, invoking an infectious grin onto her maddened features.

The ogre screeched in pain, dropping a hammer and clutching at his stomach. Silintia threw a fireball, but the creature seemed mostly unaffected. It instead batted Morphinia into the wall across the room and sent her into unconsciousness. Richard was at her side in a second, useless fingers fluttering. "Morphinia," he gasped, gingerly pressing the pads of his fingers into a shallow cut on her forehead.

"Keep an eye on her," called Silintia, proceeding to hurl another set of fireballs at the monster. "Sora!" she yelled, onyx eyes searching out the boy. He was busy avoiding the one massive hammer the ogre still had, trying desperately to ram the keyblade into its core. "Aim for the legs!"

The boy weaved away from the mallet; the large metal weapon crashed uselessly into the opposite wall and forced debris to shower over the group. Sora took advantage of the moment, jutting close to the creature and swiping at its knees. The keyblade ate through muscle and bone, before springing free and sending coagulated blood onto the stone floor.

Howling again; the beast fell to its uninjured knee, griping at its shattered patella and dropping its other massive hammer to the ground. Using the moment of weakness, Silintia cocked her arm back, calling forth a colossal ball of fire into her palm. The mage let it fly, watching in satisfaction as the fire engulfed the beast's deadened skin and sent it into spasms of screeching pain.

Sora grasped the keyblade in both hands, pointing it towards the flaming ogre and shrieking, "Blizzard!" Luminescent streams of white light bled from the end of the keyblade, curving in ethereal waves out towards the undead being and encasing it in ice. A heartbeat later it was completely solid; leaving Sora heaving lightly as he dismissed the keyblade.

Morphinia, who had awoken by this time, struggled to her feet and shook her head. The blonde gathered her axes and held them at the ready, rushing forward at the beast and in one swift movement curling the metal weapons deep into its icy skin.

A moment limped by, and then deep abrasions began to spread out from where the axes were buried. They marred the beast's skin, bleeding down its body before giving a sharp _snap_ and sending the ogre sprawling into pieces at the elf's feet. Morphinia gingerly touched her head, looking woozily up at Sora and smiling, "I like to have the kill," she giggled, before wavering slightly.

Up from his spot, Richard was at the blonde's side at a moment. He took her by the elbow and pulled her into his side for support. "Health potion?" he asked, staring down at the woman as her eyes crossed.

"She keeps them in the pack," Silintia said, also wandering over to where Morphinia was slowly surrendering back into unconsciousness. The burnet man reached across the blonde's person, digging into her pack and retrieving a small vial of red liquid. He ripped the cork out with his teeth, pressing it urgently to her lips and tilting it so that it spilled into her mouth. Morphinia gurgled, dropping her head back limply and staring up at Richard with unfazed eyes.

She swallowed after a second, the effects becoming apparent immediately as the laceration to her skull slowly fused back together. All that was left in its wake was slowly coagulating blood, which dripped down the axe wielder's cheek and gave her a certain charm that most women couldn't pull off.

"Hate getting thrown around," she murmured, mind still seeming groggy.

Sora kicked his feet through the icy chunks of ogre, carefully making his way to Morphinia's side and helping her to stand on her own. "You had me scared there for a moment," he whispered, smiling lightly as the woman simply shook her head and winked.

"Well," she said, "it happens."

All seriousness restored, the group of companions continued making their way out of the Undercity. They passed through the elevator the ogre was guarding, wandered through a maze of marble hallways, and eventually erupted into the night stricken courtyard above ground. A single guard stood waiting by the city's entrance; Silintia quickly incapacitated him with a fireball and the group made to move on. Richard stopped though, glancing back at the warrior's unused weapon with longing eyes. After a moment of hesitation he freed the sword of its confines, admiring the twine of the hilt and the perfect steel of the blade before sliding it easily into his own empty sheath.

The man quickly made his way back to the group, ignoring the strange glances he received from Morphinia and Silintia. "Steeling another man's sword, Richard? Really, what kind of human are you?" growled Morphinia, patting her own weapons protectively.

"He was dead," Richard said, placing a hand on the hilt of his new weapon and earning a distrustful glance from Silintia. "I won't raise it against you," he muttered, staring down the courtyard, off to the left, where a single marble tomb stood atop a long set of stairs. Softly glowing red light transcended down the pale stairs, creating a ghostly appeal that drew in the human and his companions.

"The Orb of Translocation is this way," said Silintia, pointing out to the head of the stairs to Sora.

The group efficiently crossed the courtyard, weaving through white ruins and broken tombstones, before stopping at the foot of the white marble stairs. "So what exactly is the Orb of Translocation?" asked Sora, finding that the red light seemed to pulse slightly in the air.

"The Orb," started Silintia, "is an ever-present portal between the Undercity and Silvermoon. It was erected after the first great war, and has stood ever since. We're going to travel through it, to the city of my ancestors, in hopes of protecting you there. What we'll do about the keyhole I don't yet know, but the elders will surely help us create a plan there."

She spoke all this as they ascended the stairs, single file, and through a large archway into a circular marble room. In the center of the room was a golden platform, atop which rested a humongous glass orb with red and black air swirling about inside. Sora approached the sphere cautiously, leaning forward and peering deep into the depths of the circulating luminescence. "How do I work it?" he asked, leaning so close his nose almost pressed into the glass.

Morphinia perked up. She draped her arm over the boy's shoulder, pointing into the core of the Orb and bending low with him. "All you have to do is touch it," she whispered, breath ghosting over the shell of the boy's ear. "Try it."

With that, Morphinia pressed a gloved hand against the cold edge of the structure. Sora moved to follow, his own fingers touching the glass hesitantly. The two stood together awkwardly, waiting for the magic to catch. After a moment, Silintia joined the two, cocking her head to the side and gazing at her friends' still existent bodies.

"It's not working," gasped Sora, shoving the pads of his fingers against the cool glass again. "Why isn't it working?!" The boy clenched his fists and slammed them onto the red surface, looking wearily over his shoulder and out into the courtyard.

Silintia seemed shocked, rubbing her own thumb over the Orb. "I don't know…" she whispered, exhaling harshly. "This isn't good, this isn't good at all. How will we escape?" The elf turned and pinned Morphinia with a sharp look. "They'll be upon us with their forces soon. If we don't get away … it will be the end of us."

"Don't talk like that," Richard mumbled, wandering across the cold stone floor to the great arch. "We can just leave through the woods; I doubt they could catch us or even have the motivation to try."

With that the human moved to step through the arch. He paused, a wall of white-light flashing in front of him blindingly before throwing the man across the room like a rag doll. Richard hit the wall and slumped over, eyes crossing from the force. "What the…" he groaned, gripping the side of his white armor. Morphinia meandered over to where the brunet sat, leaning over him and clucking at the large indent he left in the marble.

"Smooth," she said, offering him a hand. "You should have known there was a barrier. If there is someone strong enough to lock the orb, they'd definitely make one."

Silintia sucked her lip between her teeth, glancing towards Sora. "Can we break it?" asked the boy, calling forth his keyblade and clutching it at the ready. Closing her eyes, the mage focused on feeling the energy in the room.

"Doubtful," she whispered, dropping her head backwards. "It is very strong. You would most likely only harm yourself in the process."

Sora scoffed, but did not move to attempt anyways. "Then… what?"

Morphinia was the one to answer. She struggled to pull Richard's heavy form up, while looking to Sora with haughty emerald orbs. "We could break the walls down, or maybe blow the place up?"

"Um," the keyblade master shifted uncomfortably, "blow it up?"

Wiggling her eyebrows, the elf gestured to the pack on her shoulder and nodded smugly. "We are _not_ blowing this place up, Morphinia!" Silintia shouted, sounding incredibly exasperated.

"I think it's a great idea," chirped Richard, still holding his side.

"_No,_" growled the woman, pointing for emphasis. "This thing would just collapse on us, and for naught. The barrier has encased the entire crypt."

Morphinia sighed, dropping her shoulders slightly. "Your logic takes the fun out of everything."

Rolling her eyes, Silintia moved over the blocked archway and craned her neck to see out. "And we'll talk about explosives being against regulations later," she added, eyeing the axe-wielder with contempt for a moment before staring back outside. "Well, I don't see anyone yet." Sora wandered over to the elf, joining her in looking out into the empty courtyard.

"You know," he started, musing up his spikes and willing the keyblade away, "I don't see the point in having some important transportation device that can just go down. Shouldn't it be stronger?"

The entire room went quiet. Morphinia looked up at Sora slowly, tilting her head as if something has just occurred to her. "Sometimes you surprise me, kid."

"How so?"

"Because you're totally right," interjected Silintia, whipping her bangs out of her face. She stepped away from the barrier, moving to where the Orc of Translocation stood and pressing her palm against it. The mage breathed deeply, before running her nails down the cool glass and staring up at Morphinia. "The laws clearly state that the Orb is never to be messed with. It is an important medium between Silvermoon and the Undercity. To block its power is only allowed in the case of one city being taken by the Alliance; not just because some vigilante elves have escaped with two lowly humans."

Richard lofted a brow. "Lowly?"

Laughing heartily, Morphinia shouted, "Yes, lowly!" After a moment of smiling seriousness bled back onto the axe wielder's face; she glanced up at Silintia solemnly. "So what does this all mean? Silvermoon can't have fallen… that just isn't possible."

The white-haired elf pursed her lips, looking desolately into the swirling black and red glow of the Orb. "You're right; I can't even fathom it. But the Queen is the only person who has the power to block the Orb, and why would she break one of the oldest Horde rules?"

"Is it me?" asked Richard, looking up at the women curiously.

Morphinia scoffed, wrinkling her nose with distaste. "Why would the Queen care about you?" she questioned, raising her eyes to him.

The man stepped back unconsciously, flattening his lips into a line. "Because, I'm…" he paused, and apparently thought better of continuing that sentence. "Well, I guess you're right. I'm unimportant."

Recognition flickered briefly across Silintia's face, furrowing her brows and drawing her lower lip into her mouth. "You have very nice armor…" she said after a moment, looking him over from behind black eyes. The elf moved to say something else, but the crash of hundreds of feet interrupted her line of thought. Surprised, Silintia moved away from the Orb of Translocation and over to the archway, falling into a defensive stance beside Sora. "Oh, lord," she mumbled, looking out into the courtyard as many undead warriors spilled from the giant door that led to the Undercity.

"That's not good," agreed Morphinia, who had somehow slithered up next to the mage while she wasn't paying attention.

Sora was inclined to agree, but part of him was excited by the massive amount of soldiers he saw. "Will they be able to get in if we can't get out?" he asked, rubbing his forefinger across the energy shield before him and watching as ripples of white luminescence ran through the empty-looking air.

Richard joined the group too, clucking in distaste at the horde that was marching out. "Whoever erected the barrier is probably in there. That, or it is a barrier that is impossible to break from the inside but easily broken from outside. Those are very common."

"Yeah," breathed Silintia, seeming mildly surprised that Richard knew these things.

"So…" started Morphinia, fingering her axes, "we're pretty screwed, aren't we?" The blonde unlatched the weapons and held them steady. "I don't like being sitting ducks. The second this barrier goes down we attack."

Sora conjured the keyblade, feeling his heart rate jump as the magic tingled up his arm. The army was moving slowly, but it was clear they were making their way to the crypt. The empty eyes of hundreds of undead warriors bore onto the boy's form; he shivered from the intensity of the situation and the cold night air. "What's in store for us?" he wondered aloud, trying to control the rate of his breathing.

Whipping out his stolen sword, Richard stared out at the approaching army and pursed his lips. "Violence; bloodshed. How far does that gravity spell of yours work?"

"Not far at all. That hallway was cramped, and many were in a small area. I can't use it repeatedly, either. It takes a lot out of me," the boy replied, gripping the keyblade so roughly his knuckles went white. The sheer amount of undead spilling out from the Undercity was beginning to unnerve him. They were like ink spilling out over a piece of paper, slowly oozing forward to mar them with their black existence. The horde was close enough now for Sora to make out individual faces and rotted bodies; he shivered violently and looked away.

Silintia pressed her cold fingers comfortingly onto the boy's shoulder. "You will not fall here," she said, sounding like a prophet. "You're meant for greater things."

Closing his eyes, Sora focused on his breathing for a moment. He felt the sparks of anticipation on his spine, and looked up through his lashes at the undead warriors. The massive trample of feet had stopped; the entire army stood still in the courtyard and seemed perplexed. One of the warriors let out an unearthly groan, and soon many of its companions joined.

All hell broke loose.

The front lines began to fall, for reasons Sora could not be sure of. He moved as close as he dared to the barrier, staring out in alarm as undead being after undead being fell into the dirt. "What's going on?!" he asked, breathing harshly.

"Look closely," answered Richard, sounding calm. "In the sky; arrows."

Morphinia joined Sora in craning up. "What the…" she started, gripping her axes avidly. "Is this what I think it is?"

Looking thoughtful, the brunet man moved closer to the archway and stared out. Silintia was completely focused on the undead; more than ever were swarming out of the Undercity now, but they weren't headed for the tomb of the Orb. The entire army has switched gears, and was now moving towards the west gates that allowed entrance to the courtyard. After a moment bodies began spilling through it, humans and blue creatures all yelling hoarsely with weapons raised high as they crashed into the square and melded into the army of undead. "…Raid," the elf breathed, surprise apparent in her eyes.

Sora was confused. "What is a raid? What's going on? Where did these people come from?"

Too engrossed to respond, the mage only stared out as the undead monsters screeched angrily and swarmed the humans. "The Alliance has attacked the Undercity," Richard said, after it became apparent neither elf intended on talking. "We couldn't have asked for better luck."

The man went back to watching the massive battle. Arrows rained down upon the back of the undead ranks, and in the center where the two sides met bodies fell left and right. "This is gruesome," Sora croaked, disliking the pointless loss of life. "Why are they doing this? What could they gain…?"

"It's to show who is stronger," mumbled Morphinia, tilting her head at a particularly nasty beheading. "And a particularly nice deterrent."

Taking to staring along with his friends, Sora found his interests being drawn to a dark figure within the Horde ranks. A man, hooded, was not battling along with his companions, but instead moving towards the crypt. "Guys," the boy called, gesturing. "I think we found the mage who's been holding up the shield."

"We don't want to mix with this battle; once the shield goes down focus on getting away without drawing attention," said Richard mechanically. Silintia looked at him for a moment before glancing out at the hooded man. She nodded in agreement, ignoring the way Morphinia sighed heavily at the idea of running.

"Ain' fair," the elf drawled, twirling her axes.

Sora ignored the elf's protest, and instead watched how as the hooded man slipped through the ranks. No one seemed to notice him. It was like the figure was invisible; not a single warrior moved to attack him nor did any undead ask for assistance. In fact, the man probably would have made it all the way across the field without interruption if a howling ogre hadn't accidentally knocked him over while charging the front lines of the human army.

The man was completely out of sight while he was on the ground. Sora had to strain onto his tiptoes to see him, and he was surprised by how quickly the figure got up. His hood had fallen out of place from the fall; his face turned after the ogre and was shadowed by long silver hair.

"Oh god," Sora breathed, knowing without looking any longer who that figure was. He wasn't crazy, and there was no mistaking it this time.

It was Riku.

The older teen straightened his robes, looking back to where the tomb was and stopping in his tracks. Blinking, he locked his gaze with Sora's for a moment before smiling and casually waving as if nothing was wrong. "Is he waving at you?" asked Morphinia, who was obviously paying more attention than she had led on. "What the hell?"

Riku moved lazily through the army, and Sora was too intently absorbed with his old friend's movements to respond to Morphinia. Was Riku the one who had erected the barrier? Was he working with the Undead? The keyblade master's heart ached a bit at that, imagining his friend fallen to the evils of the world. Sora clenched his fist, assuring himself Riku would never fall that far. Not again.

Finally, the silver haired male erupted through the lines. He moved deftly across the empty courtyard, swiveling through tombstones and ruins and appearing ethereal in the moonlight. Somewhere inside Sora wondered when it had become night, but he didn't pay too much attention because Riku looked somewhat beautiful bathed in the darkness like that. The older boy reached inside his cloak and pulling out a large, scimitar-like sword with a blood red blade shaped somewhat like a dragon wing. "What's he going to do?" Silintia pondered aloud, watching as he ascended the stairs and stopped, eyes locking onto Sora's.

The brunet had almost convinced himself this was all just a dream. After so long, Riku couldn't really be here. It was too simple, too anticlimactic.

Raising his weapon, the boy-who-could-not-really-be-there effortlessly threw himself off of the ground and towards the archway. The red blade connected solidly with the barrier, sending pulsations of white light out through the air. A moment limped by, and then another. Cracks of brightness spread out in the empty air, and Sora could feel the magical tension wavering as Riku poured all of himself into the obstacle.

As the barrier shattered, so did Sora's skepticism.

_He's here, he's here, oh god, he's really here. _

Riku landed lightly on the marble steps. He flipped his head, icy locks flying out of his face and settling behind his shoulders. So much rushed into Sora's mind at once, all he could do was stand immobile and gawk. A snap signaled the disappearance of the keyblade, but Sora couldn't hear it. The clash of emerald on cerulean permeated the air; no one in the boy's group said anything as the brunet stared intently at their savior.

A suave smile worked its way onto Riku's lips, stilling Sora's lungs and sending blood roaring into his ears. The battle still raged on at the older male's back, but to Sora the world had shrunk down to just the two of them. Everything else felt nonexistent.

Lips forming silent syllables, the keyblade master unconsciously stepped forward. Riku regarded him confidently. He looked the boy over as he approached with a mystified expression.

"I looked for you," Sora was whispering, over and over, so quietly that Riku almost did not hear. "And I found you; you ran…"

The brunet dropped to his knees in front of his friend, glancing up with a stricken expression. Tears spilled down Sora's cheeks; he dropped his eyes to the white stairs and sobbed, grabbing for Riku's empty hand. "I looked for you!" he yelled, tightening his grip until it was almost painful. The older of the two seemed uncomfortable. He tugged the boy up, and in a moment of compassion crushed him into his chest.

Shocked, Sora did nothing but blubber and go limp in Riku's grasp. "Why didn't you come to me if you were here?" he sobbed, finally realizing the scene probably seemed strange to his companions. Riku didn't seem to notice; he was far too busy burying his face into Sora's neck.

"I wanted to," he mumbled after a moment, fisting into the boy's jacket.

Something snapped inside Sora, and suddenly he was filled with violent resentment. "You wanted to?!" he instinctively shouted, shoving the older male away from his body. "Why _didn't_ you?" As Riku stumbled the brunet stepped forward and crashed a ready fist into his face, "Why did you make me think I was completely alone?!"

Riku blocked Sora's second fist, but wasn't so lucky with the third. "Oooff!" he groaned, dropping to his knees and gripping his stomach. "I'm sorry…" the silver haired boy moaned, looking up pathetically at his friend. "I _couldn't_."

"Why?!" Sora shouted, voice breaking from the strain.

Struggling back to his feet, Riku mustered as much dignity as possible. "I can't tell you."

The keyblade master screamed in frustration, lunging forward and moving to hit him again. Riku easily caught the boy's arms now that he was ready for them; he held on loosely as Sora half-heartily pummeled them into his chest. "It's not fair," the brunet breathed lightly, tears still streaming down his face. "All this time I've been so worried…" Finally ceasing his attack on Riku's person, the boy dropped his arms and wiped at his eyes with clenched fists.

"It's okay," murmured Riku, clasping the brunet's shoulder companionably. He shifted his attention to the three people still standing inside the crypt, each looking varying degrees of worried. The one named Silintia (he'd learned all their names, except the man's, during his days of observation) looked the least alarmed, with a relatively lax expression on her face which was only given away by a slight crease between her brows. Morphinia though, was very blatantly restraining herself from rushing to Sora's side and offering some form of comfort; Riku found it amusing that the small blonde was so completely ruled by her emotions. She was a lot like his young friend.

The man, however, seemed the most alarmed of the group for a different reason. It was obvious he was uncomfortable with the display of emotion in front of him; he shied back slightly and looked off to the left with undeniably red cheeks.

Scoffing, Riku gave Sora's shoulder a slight squeeze before turning back to the battle behind him. In the center of the courtyard the full forces of the Alliance raid had clashed with the undead warriors; arrows rained down from the sky as metal collided with metal, magic parrying magic. "We need to get out of here without getting pulled into this battle," the teen muttered, grimacing as a large human bellowed before biting his sword cleaning through the thick middle of an unsuspecting ogre.

Silintia descended the marble steps of the crypt, Morphinia trailing lightly behind her with Richard in tow. "That we do," spoke the mage, ghosting over the two boys and out over the carnage with calculating eyes.

"I can't imagine we'll get out of here without crossing blades," called Morphinia, rolling her large axes and tensing. "The humans will be looking for ears; the undead will only notice we aren't dead like they are. We're relatively out of the way here, but the second we cross into that field we're going to be attacked from both sides."

Sora perked up, casting his now clear orbs onto Morphinia. "We could take a bit; it's not like we're weak."

The brunet grumbled when all his plan received was a pat on the head from his blonde friend. "Raid parties are immensely strong. I wouldn't want to face one with only," she paused, looking over the group, "-five people." Morphinia seemed rather surprised that they had so many with them; she raised a brow at Silintia and tilted her head.

"I know," mumbled the mage, responding to their silent conversation. "It's like everywhere he goes he picks up followers."

The keyblade master looked confused. "What?" he asked, wide eyes staring up expectantly.

"Nothing," sang both the women at once, each smiling wildly.

"So what's the plan?" Riku interjected, eyeing both elves awkwardly. He was baffled how they could remain so calm and even cheerful in such a situation; just looking out into the horde of violence sent chills up his own spine. "We should be quick about it."

Richard was the only one to reply. While Silintia and Morphinia were busy joking around, he had been carefully surveying the entire courtyard to find the best path to escape. "I have an idea," the warrior deadpanned, wrapping a fist around the hilt of his sword. Once all attention was on him, he continued; "Alliance archers are trained to aim for the back lines of an attacking army. They do so to avoid friendly fire, since both sides are attacking at the front. The warriors will be more geared to attacking anything with bone showing or grayish skin, so moving past them will be easy and only a few will attack on account of your ears. We don't generally look for elves when raiding the Undercity."

Looking up, recognition again flashed into Silintia's eyes before being smothered. "You've been in raid parties before?"

"Yes, don't begrudge me my race. I'm trying to survive this just like you are," he replied, pulling out his sword and holding it at the ready. "I will not cross blades with one of my own, but we should be able to escape with our lives without taking too many in return. If we cross two or three lines back in the human ranks, we're less likely to receive resistance. There are few undead there and no arrow-fire."

Riku was the only person in the group to truly grasp how much complex observation and military knowledge was required to make the plan Richard had spit out in less than a minute. He didn't say anything, but reached out towards the man and offered his hand. "I'm Riku," he said, feeling respect deep in his stomach.

"Richard," the brunet replied, clasping it and giving him a firm shake.

"And I'm Sora!" Sora squeaked, feeling left out from the introduction and thus earning strange looks from all around. He smiled up at his companions, tilting his head to the side for a moment before jutting out his arm and summoning the keyblade again. "The elves are Silintia and Morphinia."

Morphinia shifted her attention from staring at Sora like he was an idiot to taking in Riku's appearance. "I've heard a lot about you," she said, smirking. "You're right, Sora, he is cute."

"…Cute?" the silver haired teen echoed, looking over at Sora with an amused expression.

The boy had already gone totally red, from the tips of his ears all the way down his neck. "I- I.." he sputtered, looking away in alarm. "I never said that! I said you weren't ugly." He nodded once to himself before taking a step down. "Let's go," the brunet started, apparently intending to wander through the battlefield alone if they did not follow.

"Hold up!" Silintia demanded, taking dainty steps down the cold marble stairs. She descended onto the mossy ground, freezing Sora with cold black eyes. "It would be best to move in a specific formation."

Richard joined the woman at the end of the stairs, Morphinia following him. "I agree. And at different intervals; if we head in as a huge group we will attract more attention." The human pointed to Riku and Sora, dragging his finger back towards his person to signify they should come close. The brunet boy sighed, dragging his feet as his approached the warrior. Riku stood as his side and smirked, arms crossed over his chest. "You two stay together. Morphinia and Silintia travel together. I'll go alone; seeing as I'm human, if the human ranks notice me I will be assumed to be one of them."

Suspicion trickled into Morphinia's voice. "How do we know the second we go in you won't just raise the alarm to our presence? You are… human."

"…Indeed," murmured Silintia, wetting her lips. Sora stared back and forth between the elves and the humans. Richard had taken on a relatively defensive stance as the mage continued, "And what exactly do you gain by going with us? These are your people here."

The human heaved a breath, casting his gaze out over the fighting across the courtyard. "You three saved my life… I have too much honor to betray you."

Morphinia scoffed; "Humans have no honor."

Slightly offended, Sora moved to speak up. "I'm-" he started, raising a finger in protest. Silintia shushed him, and Riku's hand on his upper arm warned that something serious had just occurred.

Richard shifted, resting his palm on his barrowed sword. Morphinia noticed this immediately, and as did Silintia. The two straightened, clenching their knuckles. The blonde twisted her axes threateningly. "That may be," the human spoke after a long pause, dropping his hand. "At least in your eyes. But I assure you, my life was saved by you and I am eternally grateful. I cannot simply join my own right now though. I must reach Silvermoon, and the easiest way seems through you."

"Why are you going to Silvermoon?" asked Morphinia, stepping forward slightly.

In accordance, Richard moved back. He took on a submissive posture, smiling lightly. "I am an official convoy of the new prince, sent to negotiate peace treaties about the Badlands and Dustwallow Marsh on his behalf. I was abducted after meeting with Queen Sylvanas. Satisfied?"

"Not really. Humans lie."

The brunet man moved forward after a second, standing solidly inches away from the elf. He tilted his head to the side, glaring down roughly at her. "So do elves," he whispered, and Morphinia craned her neck up. The blonde looked taken aback; after a moment of gaping she slammed her palms into his chest and sent him stumbling backwards. A quick fist followed, connecting with Richard's cheek roughly. The man stumbled, but did not lose his footing. He instead rushed forward, lightening quick, and connected his own palms to the woman's shoulders violently.

Morphinia flew backward, crashing into Silintia and sending the mage to the ground. The power behind Richard's shove had been so forceful she felt breathless, and was shaking uncontrollably on top of her friend. "I will not tolerate this insolence!" the brunet man roared, ripping his sword from its scabbard and pointing it roughly at the women. At the same time Sora ripped his arm from Riku's grasp and stumbled forward, throwing himself between the opposing sides.

"Stop!" he shouted, cerulean eyes conveying stress and alarm. "Stop this! Richard!" the boy whirled his face towards the man, brown spikes swaying from the effort. "Wasn't it you who swore you would never raise your sword to us?!"

Richard hesitated, his arm held high in mid-swing. "I…" he paused, dropping his arm and swiftly returning his weapon to its sheath. "I am sorry…"

The man dropped his head in shame, and at the same time Morphinia shoved herself off of the ground and pushed past Sora. "Oh, you aren't yet." The boy grabbed her by her middle though, clenching his arms and staring up with conflicted eyes. Stopping, the blonde tried to pry Sora's skinny arms away. "Get offa me!"

"Morph," he groaned, holding her back. "Please don't! I know you guys have your problems, but please…"

Choosing this moment to intervene, Riku stepped over the still ground-bound Silintia and placed his hand softly on Morphinia's shoulder. "We have bigger fish to fry," he murmured into her ear, and the woman found herself going relatively limp. "It would be best to get going."

Breathlessly, the elf ceased pulling at Sora's arms and instead looked towards Richard. "He's right. But you won't be going alone; I don't trust you for a minute. I'll go with you, and after that Silintia can escort Sora and Riku."

Rubbing his temples and looking strained, Riku nodded. "We should really, _really_ hurry," he added, removing the Soul Eater from his cloak and gripping it tightly.

Richard concurred. "Shall we?" he called, removing his own weapon and offering his free hand to Morphinia. The elf scoffed, shoving it aside with the head of her axe and sauntering past.

"Just try to keep up."

The two took off, walking side-by-side as inconspicuously as possible. Morphinia was trying to squelch the urge to turn to the human with her and bop him in the head; she didn't know why she had stopped when Riku told her to. After a moment Richard spoke up. "Listen, I'm sorry about that… I'm usually more controlled."

The blonde rolled her axes, sneering. "It's my fault for forgetting all human are vermin. I am so used to Sora I briefly let myself believe your façade of a funny, caring person." She laughed cruelly, "I won't soon forget, though."

"That guy really is me," Richard whispered, finding that he had to work to keep up with the elf. They approached the edge of the battling groups, and as they did each step was taken more carefully.

Morphinia just shook her head. "Save it. Now we must focus. Especially me; apparently I have to watch for foes at all sides. Please do make some kind of gesture before you attack me; I'd like maybe a moment or two to defend myself before you run me through."

"I won't-"

Ignoring him, Morphinia covertly slipped through the wall of humans that surged towards the horde of undead. Richard struggled to follow, trying his best not to stagger into the many bodies he found around him. He could see a blonde head bobbing up now and then, and worked hard to keep up. Someone screamed, "ELF!", but the human couldn't discern where it came from. He shoved passed a few men who were moving in the opposite direction, and soon came to find Morphinia waiting for him and looking alarmed.

"Did you hear that?" she hissed, straining to see over the heads of the hundreds of warriors. Suddenly, an undead shoved through a throng of humans and sprang at her, shining blade aimed for the elf's distracted head. Richard jumped on instinct, using both hands to raise his sword high and block the weapon. The warrior seemed enraged by this, and stumbled backward.

Morphinia twirled her axes once, and then launched after it. The clang of metal was sharp in the air; more and more undead were leaking into the ranks, and many of the humans around were so engrossed in their own battle they didn't notice her. She growled loudly, pressing her axes down against the undead being's quivering blade. Richard chose this moment to come flying in, slashing with his own barrowed sword at the monster.

Stepping back, it managed to avoid the man and send the elf stumbling. Morphinia caught herself and glared at Richard; "I got this," she hissed.

"Sure you do," he muttered, stepping gracefully away as the warrior lurched forward and slashed at him.

Following suit, Morphinia jumped to the side when it turned and jerked its sword at her. The elf slammed one axe against the undead's blade, enjoying the sound the metals made when introduced. She twirled around, keeping the weapon away from her person while slamming her free axe into the monster's side. It howled, staggering back and gripping at the coagulated green liquid that began running down its flank. "I really hate you," the blonde yelled towards Richard, watching in anger as he walked forward and swiftly beheaded the warrior.

The man laughed. "Because that wasn't already clear."

He wiped a gloved finger down the end of his sword and grimaced at the strange substance on it. With a swift flick it was sent splattering on the ground; Richard let his milky brown orbs rest on Morphinia smugly before blowing a few chocolate strands of hair out of the way. Something stirred in the blonde's gut at the sight.

"Um," the elf grumbled, finding her train of thought had suddenly disappeared. "Kill-stealer," she breathed after a moment.

Richard just laughed, letting his smile fall flat.

After a moment Morphinia's mind returned to where it had been before the small distraction. She sneered at Richard, before glancing worriedly in the direction they had come from. She took a distracted step that way, throwing over her should: "You heard them scream elf, right? You don't think Silintia…"

"No," he growled, grabbing the elf by the elbow and dragging her in the direction of the gates. "There are many elves in the Horde. I doubt Silintia has even entered yet. We don't have time to be sitting here wondering."

The blonde struggled slightly, looking with longing orbs behind them. "But, she might have.."

Richard understood her hesitance, but still found it a bother. "Her safety isn't our concern right now," he muttered, immediately regretting the words. Morphinia ripped her arm away, staring in wide-eyed shock and anger.

"You," she started, voice quivering in rage, "are a vile human. The vilest."

Brunet locks swaying, Richard turned away from the elf. "You're too kind," he sighed, making to walk away. "I don't even care. Go on your own; good luck. You will ruin everything."

There was no reply from Morphinia.

After a moment the man looked back, wondering what happened to the biting remark he was sure she would make. "Nothing to say?" he started, before realizing the elf was just standing there looking mildly shocked. Morphinia made a small sound, and wavered lightly. "…What's wrong?" Richard asked after a moment, letting his brows draw together as he took a stepped forward.

"Um," was all the blonde managed, before dropping down to her knees and slouching forward. She hit the ground with a light _thump_, and suddenly the human understood what was wrong. A long arrow shaft stuck out from her back, feathered end waving lightly in the wind.

* * *

Sora watched Morphinia and Richard cross the courtyard with a sullen expression. "What was _that_?" he questioned after a moment, turning to Riku and planting two fists firmly on his boyish hips.

Silintia had at some point removed herself from the ground. She wiped at her soiled robes with an air of dignity about her, glancing down her nose at the silverette as well. "I too would like to know. Morphinia is not usually so… compliant."

"I'm persuasive."

Running a hand through his lengthy locks, Riku let his eyes fall across the field. Morphinia and Richard had disappeared into the battle, and it appeared their presence had not been noticed. "Let's go," he mumbled, grabbing Sora's wrist and pulling the boy out into the courtyard. Silintia followed, smiling as the brunet yelped and almost dropped his keyblade.

Sora rolled his hand to try and break free, but the older teen held strong. "Riku!" he groaned after a moment, stressing the _ku_ with exasperation. "Don't pull so hard."

"_Should we kill them all now, master?_"

Straightening his lips into a line, Riku tried to focus on the task at hand. The voices had been in his brain ever since he'd broken the shield, and suppressing them was beginning to become quite the feat. "No," he said, knowing if he didn't reply there would be a mass slaughter on his hands. Sora seemed to misunderstand though; the boy set his features into a low pout that put puppies to shame.

"You're mean!"

Following the two, Silintia raised a delicate white brow at the change in Sora's demeanor. He had always been on the childish side, but the boy seemed to have reverted to a three-year-old now that his friend had arrived. The elf smiled, wondering if this was the real Sora. The one who wasn't stressed by war and hardship and obligation.

"Really mean! Meany-face!"

Maybe it was better if that wasn't true…

Riku dropped Sora's wrist after a moment, stopping in the middle of the courtyard and bringing his fingers to his temples. He rubbed soothing circles there, a pained expression evident on his face as he let his eyes fall to the ground. "…Riku?" the brunet boy called after a moment, ceasing his childish play and instead placing a comforting hand on the teen's shoulder. The keyblade master tilted his head to the side, trying to see through the shadows his older friend's long locks created over his face. "Are you oaky?

"_Are you? Are you okay, master? We think killing everyone will make you feel better…"_

Swatting Sora's hand away, Riku shook his head violently. "Just a headache," he mumbled, turning back towards the battle and taking a few steps.

"Are you sure you're oaky?" the brunet asked, hurrying to get to his friend's side.

"_Are you sure? Are you sure you're okay, master?_"

Mocking him, the voices ricocheted through every corner of his mind. The silver haired teen groaned loudly, clenching the bridge of his nose between his fingers. "I would be okay if you'd shut the _fuck_ up." At Sora's horrified expression, he quickly amended himself. "Not you…"

"Who else is in there?" muttered Silintia sarcastically, surprising Riku. He had forgotten she was behind them, and it sent a small shiver up his spine to realize he was so out of it.

The silverette sighed, dropping his fingers and deciding not to answer. They were close to the opposing sides now; Sora moved unconsciously closer to Riku at the sight of the brutality before him, wishing to grab the older male's hand and shrink away. Silintia seemed to notice the brunet's plight, and after a moment she rested her palm on his head before sliding past. The elf was the first to cross into the battle, both boys stuck close though.

Someone screamed loudly, and the general roar had Sora's head spinning. People were on all sides, some shoving up against him and others narrowly missing him with their weapons. Riku looked almost delirious to the younger boy; he was shaking fiercely while trying to lead them after Silintia.

The elf herself was having a hard time making her way towards the gates. She had to shove past many grimy warriors and mages, but the people were congested and many sprawling fights spilled right into her path. An armored man stumbled right into the mage, almost taking her to the ground with him. Silintia stared down blankly at him, and he stared up at her from behind a gushing head wound. A moment limped by between them, before he opened his mouth and screamed at the top of his lungs, "ELF!!"

"Oh, god damnit," Silintia drawled, summoning a fireball and crashing it down onto the already fading warrior. Those around her had turned from their own battles, and several flew at her with raised swords. The elf skirted away, two wards forgotten, into a random direction.

Riku shoved passed the bellowing humans with Sora in tow, watching in surprise as the white haired elf raised a small silver shield between her palms and used it to block an oncoming sword. The teen rushed to her side, Soul Eater raised high, and immediately engaged an attacking human. In surprise, the man blocked his dragon sword and stumbled backwards.

"You're human!" screamed the warrior in surprise, seeming hesitant to attack. Riku wasn't though; the silverette lunged at the man and took a calculated swipe.

Sneering when the human side-stepped him and made to attack, Riku parried the blow with cold eyes. "Barely," he murmured, smiling sadistically.

Silintia didn't seem to notice or care that help had arrived. She agilely dodged a steel blade that flew at her, using the luminescent shield in her left hand to block someone as she hurled fireballs with her right. Several bodies hit the dirt, but more seemed to be coming. The elf moaned in frustration, feel the deep slice of a long sword in her side as a human managed to bypass her barrier and cleave at her.

Watching in shocked silence, Sora was the only one of the three not to throw himself into battle. He stood awkwardly, holding his keyblade to the side and staring as Riku slammed the hilt of his Soul Eater into a man's head. The human fell limp, and before he hit the ground the teen was already attacking someone else.

"This is no place for little boys with toys," someone called, surprising Sora out of his reverie. The brunet looked up, and saw a kind-faced man breathing heavily at his side. "I don't know how you got here…" he started, grabbing the boy's shoulder, "But we must get away!"

With that the man tugged Sora in the opposite direction. "Oh, wait!" cried the keyblade master, struggling against his iron grip. "No!"

He was shocked when the man ripped him off of the ground and threw him over his shoulder like a ragdoll. "This isn't the place to play games, child!" the human said, voice sounding rough and exhausted. "I will take you to the back lines for now; it's safe there… we'll find your parents when this is all over." Sora blinked, realizing with a pang that in his surprise he had dismissed the keyblade. The man was rushing away, and Sora watched deftly as Riku and Silintia's battle became distant and hazy.

"Those are…" he started, unsure of what to do. The brunet began to struggle violently in the man's arms, trying to wiggle free and return to his friends. "Let me go!!"

Of the two, only Riku noticed Sora's absence. The teen whirled around, searching through the sea of shining armor for his friend's familiar loose clothing. Silintia was struggling as a group of men attacked her at the same time, and just as Riku's eyes fell on the boy being pulled away she called out for help.

"_We can help, master. Let us help, master. Let us._"

Shaking his head, Riku ripped a human away from Silintia and carelessly threw him on the ground. He buried his Soul Eater deep into the man's chest, noting with satisfaction that it penetrated his armor like a knife through butter. Blood spilled from the man's mouth, but Riku didn't waste time watching the life he took flitter away. He tore off after Sora, shoving through the mass of clashing humans and undead with little care.

The boy was far away, still unsuccessfully trying to wriggle away from the man who held him over his shoulder. Sora moaned and groaned, but the human wouldn't listen. "Let me go, kidnapper! Weirdo! Let me go!" Bashing his small fists against the man's armor, the brunet continued to screech.

Riku wasn't getting any closer. The man was well trained, and ran with swift agility that would have impressed the teen if it didn't enrage him. "Wait!" he yelled, physically wrenching humans out of the way in his haste.

"_We could help both masters…_"

Confused, Riku slowed down to a swift trot. "What?" he muttered, trying to block out the shrill screams in his head.

"_Let us help…_"

The man was growing tired of Sora's continued struggling. "I'm trying to help you!" he shouted, reaching back and hitting the brunet on the back of the head. Eyes swimming, Sora ceased his writhing and instead watched with dazed eyes as Riku stopped moving and stared. The teen was seeing red; watching that fist crash into the back of his young and delicate friend's skull sent him flying over the edge.

"STOP HIM!" he roared, pointed with shaking fingers at the man. "Kill him! Kill them all!"

"_Yesss, master._"

Realizing what he had just said, Riku took a shuddering breath in horror. "No, I…" he started, watching as dark spots in the ground began to rise up. Hundreds upon hundreds of heartless began to appear, and at least half were all tearing off after the fleeing human. Sora seemed to notice, but his head was swimming so violently he assumed it was a hallucination.

"Look out," the boy slurred anyways, just in case.

The heartless were on them in moments, sending the two flying to the ground. The human cried out in surprise; while the monsters swarmed over him Sora rolled away and struggled to his feet. He tried to summon the keyblade, but his head was so ruffled that he couldn't focus. "Hey, stop…" he murmured, dropping to his knees and sluggishly reaching into the pile of heartless. The boy dragged a few away, throwing them off to the side and vaguely registering that they did not attempt to attack him.

Hundreds of screams rose up through the courtyard. The heartless were spreading, attacking the unsuspecting humans with outrageous numbers. Sora was busy trying to free the well-intentioned man, and with rising urgency. At some point his fingers slipped against something red; the brunet stared at his blood stained hands with curious eyes.

After a moment the heartless began to spread away from the man. Sora stayed on his knees, alarm piercing through his system as he registered that the man lay in a mangled and writhing mass in the dirt. Blood seeped from multiple lesions over his body; his armor was punctured and there were several chunks missing from his neck. The man's eyes lulled, and after a moment he went still. In terror, Sora struggled to his feet and staggered backwards. He connected to something warm and solid, and when the boy looked over his shoulder Riku was standing there looking relieved.

"…You're okay," the teen whispered after a moment, unknowingly reaching forward and draping his arms over the boy's shoulder. He dropped his head onto Sora's shoulder, not understanding where this immense relief was coming from. He could still hear the violent screams all around, but Riku felt at peace.

Sora blushed bright red at his friend's display of affection. He struggled away after a moment, summoning the keyblade now that his head was clear. "Riku… there are heartless."

The teen sobered, stepping back and adjusting his cloak. "Yeah, I know."

"What do we do?"

Riku dropped his head, feeling waves of guilt wash over him. "We need to find Silintia and make sure she's okay. And maybe meet up with Morphinia and Richard, if they aren't already gone." Turning away sharply, the silverette set off in the direction he came from. Sora trailed behind slowly, wide eyes taking in the massive slaughter all around.

"…Riku… what about the people?" asked the boy, feeling his stomach turn.

The teen didn't reply for a moment. "Just follow me. The heartless are weak; once the humans figure out what is going on they will be able to defend themselves fine. We need to use this distraction to our advantage."

Sora hesitantly followed his friend, clutching the crown pendant on his chest and flattening his lips into a thin line. The keyblade master's instincts told him to fight alongside the humans, but he banished them in favor of listening to Riku. His older friend was always right, and now wouldn't be any different. "…Hey," the brunet called quietly. Riku glanced over his shoulder briefly to indicate he was listening, but the two continued to walk forward. "Riku… I'm really glad you're here now."

Suppressing a sigh, the teen continued on without saying anything.

They soon came to where Silintia was. The elf was heaving lightly, looking on in confusion as the humans around her were overtaken by the dark bodies of the heartless. "Riku… Sora…" she called, staring with wide eyes. "They came out of no where. So suddenly… just rose right out of the ground."

"Are you okay?" Sora asked, stepping lightly towards the woman. He reached out, and after waiting a moment lurched forward and threw his arms around the mage's waist. Standing there in shock, Silintia awkwardly pressed her fingers to the boy's shoulder and pulled him a bit closer.

Clearing her throat, the elf wondered if Sora was as overwhelmed as she was. "I am fine…" she murmured, trying to sound soothing.

Eyes prickling, the brunet stepped back from Silintia and sniffed. He rubbed at his eyes inconspicuously; ignoring the way Riku rolled his neck and sighed. "We should go," said the teen, looking out over the battle. The courtyard was filled with many fallen humans, and as their numbers disappeared the undead seemed to grow restless. For some reason the heartless didn't seem interested in the Horde members; Riku made a mental note of this while wetting his lips. "They might turn on us soon… or the undead will realize who we are and come for us."

Silintia nodded, shaking her bangs from her eyes and swallowing. "Do you think Morphinia and Richard got out okay?"

"I haven't seen them… so I imagine. We should get to the gates and see," Riku sighed, closing his eyes briefly. The teen was mentally exhausted, and incredibly relieved that the voices had stopped once he let the darkness out.

Without saying anything, the group set out. The crossed the courtyard within minutes, but when they reached the gates they found no sign of the elf or human. Silintia began fretting, pacing back and forth while breathing heavily. Sora joined her, and Riku ended up being the only one calm. He forced his stressed companions to pass out of the courtyard, and practically had to shove them up the road. They stopped once they reached the sign pointing out which town was in which direction; Riku dropped onto the ground and sat solidly while the two with him went back to stressing.

"You don't think they like, killed each other?" Sora offered, eyes going wide. He kicked his shoes into the dirt, feeling useless.

Silintia twitched slightly at that. "…I would not be surprised…"

The elf glanced back in the direction of the gate, trying to peer into the courtyard. Riku scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest and trying to ignore Sora as he wandered back and forth.

Speaking up, the brunet boy addressed his older friend. "What do you think, Riku?"

"I think they'll be here soon enough."

Silence fell over the trio. They stayed that way for ten minutes, and then twenty. Sora eventually dropped on the ground in front of Riku, looking sullen and used and incredibly tired. "Maybe we should go look for them…"

Silintia chose to be the voice of reason this time. "No, no… if they can't make it on their own then they're probably dead."

Laughing, Riku looked up at the woman. "Way to stay positive."

As the teen spoke, he caught sight of a single figure coming up the road. He squinted, leaning forward while gripping his Soul Eater. Sora turned after a moment, cerulean eyes traveled over the scene with urgent interest. "Is that..?"

Richard struggled up the pathway; an unconscious Morphinia draped bridal style in his arms. The blonde's head lulled back, neck elongated, with her clavicle protruding sharply. Her arms fell limp, swinging back and forth lightly with each step the man took. "Morphinia!" Silintia yelled, rushing towards the two. Sora jumped from the ground and followed, with Riku taking his sweet time.

Once at his side, Silintia helped an exhausted looking Richard set her friend gently onto the ground. "What happened?" she asked, removing Morphinia's axes and throwing them to the side. "Where is her pack?"

Sora arrived at that point, dropping to his knees next to the unconscious elf and brushing her cheek. The blonde's skin looked pale, and her lips had lost much of their color.

"She was shot with an arrow…" Richard said, breathing heavily. The man was cut up and bruised, with many dings and holes speared into his armor. "I think it was a poison one. She hit the ground within a minute, and I've been trying to protect her all this time. I guess we lost the pack in the process."

Glaring up at the man, Silintia joined Sora on the ground. "Well, that's convenient," she hissed, "those were the only health potions we had."

Finally joining the group, Riku glanced down distantly at the peaceful looking woman on the ground. He crouched, pressing two fingers to her neck and checking for a pulse. "…Faint," he muttered, retracting his fingers and digging around in his pockets.

"Now hold on, Silintia. Are you insinuating that I set this up?" asked Richard, looking horrified.

The elf blanched. "Maybe."

"Well, I didn't! I've spent the last hour fighting my _own_ _people_ to keep this woman safe."

Feeling the need to intervene before they had a repeat of earlier, Sora spoke up. "I'm sure you did, Richard. Thank you so much."

Clearing his throat, Riku demanded the attention of his companions. They all turned to him, but only Sora recognized the small green vial cupped in his hand. "Oh, thank god," the boy hissed, dropped his head back in relief. "Hi-Potion."

The silverette opened the bottle, before pressing it lightly to the woman's lips. It drained quickly, before either Silintia or Richard could protest, and disappeared down the blonde's throat. After a moment a furrow creased between Morphinia's brows; she hesitated a moment before groaning loudly and pushing herself up. Regarding the people surrounding her with emerald eyes, the elf smiled crookedly. "Damn," she muttered, "I went down again?"

* * *

Not long after Morphinia was repaired, the group set off into the woods. They could hear the undead hot in pursuit, and decided the trees would be the best place to lose them. With no face-to-face encounters, they made it safely to the deepest and darkest corners of the forest. The first lights of dawn guided them, and even though each member of the group was exhausted they moved on.

Richard was the one who suggested traveling through the Dead Scar; a barren expanse of land that traveled all the way through the woods and ended at Silvermoon. It was filled with many mindless and violent creatures, but he insisted it was harmless if approached correctly.

"Just remember, be careful in the Scar, there are still mines from the old wars," he warned, seeming far too familiar with lands he should know nothing of. They passed through more thick trees and foliage, before erupting into what was unmistakably the Dead Scar. Gray sand covered the ground, and it appeared to be a deep crater in the earth as if it had been purposefully cut out. Large skeletons wandered in the area, empty eye sockets seeing nothing and mindless bodies simply moving back and forth repetitively.

Sora was the first to jump down into the Scar. He landed unsteadily, and was surprised by just how steep the slope had been. Riku followed, and then Morphinia and Silintia and Richard. Once all were accounted for, they began heading north.

After a while the pointless conversation began.

"I am not familiar with this area," Silintia said, looking over the barren ground with distaste. "Throughout my youth I have avoided the Dead Scar. Never thought it would be my only safe haven."

Sora was busy kicking pebbles. He flicked one forward a couple feet and grinned, glancing up towards the lithe elf; "Is it because of what happened when you were a kid?"

Confused, the mage stopped. "What happened when I was a kid?"

"You know," the brunet started, continuing on without her. "The whole thing where you got attacked and had to save someone and all that. When you got your white hair?"

Silintia actually laughed, dropping her head back and shaking from the force of it. Beside her, Morphinia seemed rather taken back. "What?" she whispered, dropping her eyes to the ground. The elf became unfocused, ceasing to move forward and instead opting to clench her fists tightly. "Where did you hear that?"

"Ky," answered the boy, seeming unfazed. He hadn't picked up on the change in the atmosphere, and instead moved forward at a constant pace. The elves fell behind, until a comforting hand on Morphinia's shoulder from Silintia brought them back to reality. They continued walking, soon catching up to Richard and Riku. The silver haired boy was glaring something fierce at his dense friend. "It was a really awesome story, by the way," Sora added over his shoulder, mistaking Riku's pointed stare for a reprimand on being impolite.

"Was it?" Morphinia breathed, obviously strained.

Richard, ever the peacemaker, had had enough. "I'm sure it was. Now, the weather today..."

"I'm curious if the girl you saved was Morphinia?" continued Sora, ghosting over the oldest man's sad attempt at a topic-change without a thought. "I thought it was, but you never know."

Silence, thick and potent, ensued.

Riku poked the brunet boy in the ribs, earning a loud sound of indignation from him. "Awh, Riku!" he shouted, flailing his hand back lightly. "Don't do that. Anyways," Sora turned to the women, "was it?" He pinned Silintia with innocent cerulean eyes and smiled.

"…" The mage opened her mouth to respond, but for a moment no sound came out. She glanced to where Morphinia was walking; the blonde had her eyes trained forward with her lips in a straight line and fists still clenched. "It was," Silintia finally murmured, sounding defeated. "At least, that's the story."

"Did something else happen?" asked Richard, unable to tame his curiosity about what made the ever-cheerful Morphinia seem so on edge. He didn't know the story they were talking about, but hoped maybe someone would enlighten him in time.

Sighing, Silintia rubbed her temples. "It is a long and tiring story."

"Naw, not really," piped Sora, slowing down so that he stood next to Richard. "I can tell you."

"Will you _shut UP_?!" someone screeched. Sora looked back in surprise, finding Morphinia glaring daggers at him. "No one wants to hear this fucking story. Nobody cares! Stop talking about it, you dumbass!" The blonde was shaking, emerald eyes taking on a wild glint. "Can't you tell we don't want to talk about it? How dense can you be?! That wasn't a good time!" She rushed forward quickly, shoving past the gawking boy and running agilely up the edge of the Scar. "I can't stand hearing about it," she yelled, before disappearing into the foliage.

More silence followed.

Richard blinked a few times, cursing himself mentally. "So… the weather…"

"Shut up," sighed Silintia, moving to follow after her friend. "I'm sorry about her; but she's right. That was a horrible day. We almost lost our lives. Talking about it is not something we're comfortable with."

The brunet man nodded, turning back to the boy at his side. Sora was red in the face, looking relatively mortified that he had unconsciously set Morphinia off. "I didn't…" he started, but trailed off when Riku turned back to him and shook his head. "But, Morphinia…" Sora slipped his tongue over his lower lip, before running up to Silintia's side and grasping her forearm. "I'll get her. I need to apologize!" The boy took two rushed steps in the direction the elf had run, when suddenly the ground underneath him quaked and a massive explosion of sand flew up around him.

Camouflaged by the debris, no one in the group could see what had happened. Riku twitched, his mind taking a moment to process what had just happened.

"_Be careful in the Scar, there are still mines from the old wars._"

Adrenalin pulsed through the teen's system, and a blood-curling scream was wrenched from his lungs.

"SORA!!"

A moment passed, and then the dust began to settle.

* * *

**Note:** Lol don't kill me. –heart-

Reviews are desired! They make me happy :D

I also would really like to know what you guys think is coming. Like, with the plot. I'm curious who has figured out what means what, and whether or not I'm obvious about what is to come, or if it's all a mystery. Let me know!


	9. World of Warcraft 8

**A/N:** Chapter contains intense sequences of gore, mush, and random conversation. Forgive me for how amazingly long it's been since I've updated. I just kind of lost interest for a while, kept saying I'd do it, and didn't. But, I promised myself it'd be up before February, and low and behold!

Enjoy; and please review when you're done. That'd make all the work I put into it feel a lot more gratified. HAHA. –grovel-

_Up ahead: The land of the dead, the resurrection, and the Dead Scar's dead scars. _

Through the Looking Glass

Chapter 9

---

Never in his life did it occur to Riku that there could be such a thing as a deafening silence. It just didn't make any sense, because 'silence' was supposed to be… well… quiet. And though he may have only made it to the summer of his freshman year before being brutally ripped away from everything he knew, something just didn't seem to connect 'quiet' and 'deafening'.

That is, until he saw the crumpled and bloody mass that used to be his best friend lying limply in the sand.

The first reaction had been to scream, followed quite promptly by an overwhelming desire to sob. Neither need was met though, and instead what followed the gently settling sand was an eerie stillness that brought sirens into Riku's ears. The teen said nothing; simply allowing his mouth to fall open while attempting to work his mind around the alarmingly shrill screams that had started working their way through his skull. Sora did not move; not a soul dared to make a sound in the tense moments that limped by.

Riku finally found his voice a few minutes later. "…Sora…?" he called, taking cautious steps towards his young friend. The white sand around the boy had been stained red; a type of gooey mud pooled at his sides where blood had been allowed to gather, and where his head lay there appeared to be a growing lake of blood.

No response came.

Finding the situation too unreal to even fathom what a proper reaction would be, Riku simply gathered his wits over the dull roar in his mind before stumbling to where the brunet was.

As he fell to his knees, he finally became aware of the presence of two others beside him. Silintia was the first to speak, and her annoyingly composed voice sent chills of resentment through Riku's body. "He is dead. He could not still be alive. I had so hoped this trauma would not befall him…"

"Shut up."

The teen angrily ripped Sora off of his side, sending him sprawling limply onto his back. Reaching forward, he pressed two idle fingers to the boy's blood-slicked throat. Milliseconds limped by; _hours_.

There was nothing.

Repressing the sudden and inexplicable desire to shriek, Riku instead found himself looming further over his friend and giving him three curt smacks to the cheek. "Sora! Wake up! Now is not the time!" The silverette added another tap for good measure, before using his thumb and forefinger to slit the brunet's peacefully closed eyelids.

Riku noticed two things at once. Firstly, there was no pupil dilation or contraction to the light. Secondly, and much more prominently, Sora's sky-blue eyes had at some point lost any resemblance to their former glory. What once rang like the sea, was now dead and lackluster. What sparkled in the sun, seemed to barely catch the light. Frustrated, the older male dropped back onto his haunches and stared in confusion at his friend.

"It wasn't supposed to end like _this_…" he found himself murmuring, and once he thought about it, he had never said something so true. Sora was not someone who could just roll over and die. Sora was supposed to bounce back from anything. He was going to take on the entire world, and _win_. He wasn't supposed to die face-down in a not much more than a white-caked ditch, simply because he hadn't watched where he was stepping. Not after everything. "You can't be dead," Riku whispered, barely catching the ear of the human and elf looming behind him. "You can't be dead because everyone here still needs you… Sora…" the teen leaned in close. "Please, _I_ need you, too…"

At that precise moment, someone came crashing through the trees.

Morphinia took in the entire situation with calloused absinthe eyes; she ambled two steps before jumping down from the foliage into the scar. "Land mine?"

"Yeah," Silintia and Richard responded in unison.

Rolling her neck, the blonde sighed. "Is he dead?"

"Yeah," they both replied.

"Any potions left?"

"Nope."

A collective silence fell throughout the group. Riku was trying to reign himself in, because it had been that woman's fault that his friend was now gone. Everything in him was screaming for retribution, but he was so numb he didn't know how to go about it. "What's with you guys?" he finally hissed out, whirling his head around so quickly he almost got whip-lash. "I thought Sora was your friend! How can you sit there and talk about this like it's trivial?! Did he mean nothing to you?!"

Richard shrunk back, looking vaguely confused. Silintia only lofted a delicate brow, while Morphinia took to puckering her lips and glaring. "What's the big deal?" asked the blonde, letting a gloved hand find its way to her hip. "Dying isn't that bad. He's in once piece and everything."

The elf had the audacity to nudge her toe at a chunk of coagulating mud. "At least, I think so."

Ripping his Soul Eater from the scabbard, Riku found himself flying off of the ground and pointing it straight towards the ingrate. "How dare you!" he yelled, voice breaking from intensity. "Sora was all that I had, and he's _gone, _and it's all your fault! You don't even give a shit!"

Morphinia had her axes out in a flash. The blades bred sparks as they clashed together; while the two glowered menacingly their companions slowly backed away. "What is your fucking _problem_?" Morphinia slurred, narrowing her eyes until they became poisonous slits. "People die all the time. He's in one piece; sure I feel bad that he has to go through it but there isn't much we can do! We don't gain anything by sitting around feeling sorry about it. In fact, we shouldn't be sitting around at all considering we possibly have an _army_ after us, but now we have to because Sora went and got himself dead. If you're going to act like a brat, aim it towards the idiot who stepped on a completely uncovered mine!"

"To go after you!" Riku screamed, finding his lungs couldn't possibly keep up with the rate his breath had sped to. He was shaking, and he wanted to badly to strike the woman in front of him. "Why don't you care that he's gone forever?! Did he mean that little?"

The silence was thick after that. Morphinia dropped her axes to her sides, before taking a step back and staring at Riku has if he'd grown an extra head. "Forever…?"

Then the most curious thing happened. Silintia, the ever stoic one, began laughing. Morphinia joined her, and soon the entire trio had grown almost hysterical in front of Riku. Confused, the teen shuffled back and slipped his Soul Eater away. "Did I miss something?" he asked after a moment, finding that try as he might to suppress it, red still filtered into his cheeks.

"Forever!" Morphinia yelled, and her two companions echoed her. The amusement in their voices was obvious, and it annoyed Riku something fierce. "Since when-" stopping to catch her breath, the blonde sobered, "has it been forever?"

Riku deadpanned. He had no idea what the elf was talking about, and found that the only reaction he could muster was to let his jaw go slightly slack for a moment before half-yelling, "What are we even talking about? Death? 'Cause where I come from that's pretty fucking permanent."

While he had been focused on Morphinia, Silintia had somehow slithered past the teen and begun tending to Sora. She lowered herself elegantly to the ground, smoothing the boy's bangs back and pursing her lips into a thin line. "The world you come from is very different from ours, then," mumbled the mage, startling Riku with her presence. The silverette turned sharply, glaring down at the woman with distaste. He winced when she pressed her pale palm against the brunet's face, and had to suppress a growl at the motherly way she thumbed away drying blood from his lips.

"What do you mean?" he asked, furrowing silver brows.

"Here," Silintia started as she continued to minister soft grazes across rapidly paling skin, "death is not something that lasts forever."

Some massive weight he hadn't been aware of before was suddenly lifted from Riku's chest. The teen tensed, and felt his stomach go tight. At a loss for words, all he managed was a breathy, "How?"

* * *

_"It is not yet your time, I shall aid your journey back to the realm of the living."_

A velvety voice bubbled in the back of Sora's mind, coaxing him from the shadowy grips of oblivion and into a bright level of consciousness he had never before experienced. The boy did not know how or when he had ceased his escapades in the forest, or where he was now, but he felt an unearthly calm about the heavy air that surrounded him and the luminescent sky overhead. He was somehow standing in a graveyard of sorts; one with broken gravel lining its rotten dirt paths and crumbling headstones marking freshly upturned graves. Everything was tinted white, and Sora chalked this abnormality in his vision up to the fact that he, too, seemed to be luminescent and pallid.

Examining translucent fingers with the upmost interest, the brunet eventually turned his attention to a lightly glowing winged woman who was staring down at him gently from a pedestal of pasty marble. She said nothing, and to his surprise, Sora found his own voice seemed useless as well.

The lack of verbal communication left the boy wanting for naught, though. This angel of sorts set rampant within him a tumultuous storm of tranquility and peacefulness. In the time it took him to meet her eyes he understood where he was and why he stood there, staring reverently up at the transparent woman. "I'm dead," he murmured, the sounds flowing silently from his unmoving lips. Such a sensation was foreign, and had Sora felt capable of expression, he would have smiled vigorously at it. Instead he dropped his head, trying desperately to feel anything except blank. "Is this heaven? Is everything over?"

No response from his angel. She merely examined him with glazed over eyes, and suddenly all seemed clear to Sora. Yes, he was dead, but his path did not end here. The vibrant tendrils of energy attached to the woman's back flexed forward after this revelation; her wings brushed over the keyblade master's eyes and cheeks and sent foreign sensations through his nervous system.

"What now?"

The lack of actual vocalization was beginning to vex Sora. He felt his voice reverberating through the air, but there was no sound and his lips never once moved. The boy tried hard to gain kinesthetic control, and found that with great concentration he could open his mouth. Flapping it a few times as if he were a fish, Sora felt a smile fall into its rightful place on his lips before he again turned his attention to the angel.

"I have to return to my friends… there's a lot left for me to do."

Relieved, Sora came to the realization that there was air passing through his lungs and echoing in his vocal chords, gusting out from his mouth and making actual speech. The angel regarded him with her stony eyes; tendrils from her wings whipped lightly over his ashen and translucent skin, sending spasms of numb sensation through his nerve-endings. Whispy voices began echoing through the boy's mind, speaking in a language foreign to Sora that made chills seep over the brunet's skin. After a moment the whispers ceased, and Sora found the numb feeling in his body was beginning to accumulate on his right side, as if an entirely separate entity had sprung up from the foliage next to him and was pulling him in that direction.

Conceding, the boy took a shadowy step towards the numbness before stopping and looking with unsure orbs at his angel. The slightest inclination of her head was all he needed; Sora turned back towards the pull and followed it.

* * *

The universe had a way about it. A cruel way. A way that liked to mock intending crusaders by setting in their paths many obstacles and hard-times that would surely make them stronger for it once their journey came to fulfillment. The universe, it seemed, was down-right _mean_.

And, that particular day, as four figures huddled over a fallen boy in white dirt, it seemed to be feeling especially nasty. This came to be, it seemed, as a small group of undead scouts, searching for escaping members of the Alliance raid, stumbled into the Dead Scar at the exact spot said four figures were huddling oh-so-conspicuously.

"Halt!" cried one of the scouts, whipping out a shabby sword in unison with the rest of his small group. They trampled out from the edge of the Scar, looking calculatingly over Silintia and Morphinia, and then at their charges. "Wha'z this? De elvsies are pris'nas?"

For a moment, no one moved. Silintia's shoulders shook slightly, before soft and vibrant peals of laughter swam along the air currents to the scouts' rotting ears.

"Hardly," the elf mage whispered, whirling around and haphazardly throwing a fireball at the head scout. He was engulfed in a moment's time; bellowing screeches filled the scar as the rest of the squad rushed forward to attack. Riku and Richard were on them in a heartbeat; sparks filled the air as metals met and engaged.

Morphinia hesitated a moment, glancing down at Sora's limp form and the lightly perspiring mage above him. Across the scar she could hear the two humans bellowing over the battle-cries of the undead. The blond unhooked her double axes and smiled a crooked smile at her friend, "Sit this one out," she said, before mindlessly bouncing across the Scar and immediately engaging one of the scouts in battle.

Riku glanced over to the blond warrior as she fell into step with him; the teen swung his Soul Eater vivaciously through the air and easily decapitated one of his attackers, before sliding to the left to avoid another. It seemed more and more of the undead were spilling from the woods. What had before been a small and manageable handful of bodies was now becoming a large mass of groaning warriors.

To Riku's left, Richard ducked one warrior, back-kicked another, before running another scout through with his borrowed sword. The chocolate-haired man swung around, slicing absently through the stumbling body behind him then again circling and decapitating the third straight through the jaw. The monster groaned for a moment before its skull slid off; before that bone and rotting brain hit the ground the white warrior was already searching for more prey. The man nabbed a fallen but squirming scout from the ground, punched it hard so that it again dropped to the earth, and then rammed his sword straight through its ribcage and into the soil below.

"Look out!" Richard cried, looking over from the fading warrior just in time to see a distracted Riku being swung at. To his right Morphinia whirled, kicking the silver-haired teen to the side with little reserved fury, and sending him sprawling to the ground. The scout which had been swinging at him hit air, doubled over, and fell into the dirt. Grinning, the elf cleanly swiped through the moaning warrior before her with one axe before kneeling and decapitating the fallen monster with the other. Riku kicked off of the ground, landing agilely on his feet and immediately planting his back against Morphinia's for protection. The two squared, and after a moment Richard joined them so that they formed a small triangle of protection.

More warriors were moving in. The three circled slowly, weapons at the ready, waiting for an attack. Riku swallowed a lump in his throat, realizing somewhere along the way the situation had turned away from their favor. "Silintia!" he heard Morphinia call; the elf sounded somewhat stressed as she bobbed her axes. "Now would be the time to help out."

A moment went by with no response, and then Silintia's shadowy voice reached their ears. "Yeah, was about to say that myself…"

Peering through the mass of warriors, the image of a struggling mage became apparent. A boney fist clenched the elf's white locks, pulling her up into a semi-standing position as she twisted and tried to avoid the shining blade held to her throat. Silintia gurgled something else, clawing at the weapon to no avail.

After a moment the woman went limp, grimacing as metal sliced against her pale throat and brought a thin sheen of burgundy blood to the surface. Morphinia hissed, raising her chin in object defiance as the warrior in front of her raised his own weapon to her throat. "What traitors ye do'n?" it gurgled out in a poor imitation of Common Speech. "Cap'n?"

The monster holding Silintia groaned, ripped her head back slightly, and ran a skeletal finger over the gash on her throat. Tasting his fingers with a decayed tongue, the captain looked to his underling and dawned a slimy smile. "These are more than just escaping raiders…" he started, clearly much more educated than the warriors who fought beneath him. "Bound them all; we'll return them to the Queen and let her have a look at them."

"De small one?"

Pausing, the captain nudged Sora's pale body with the steel toe of his boot, shoving roughly until the frail boy tumbled over onto his side. Silintia immediately began struggling again; at the same time Riku pushed away from Morphinia and they both attempted to rush the lines. The warriors reacted quickly, one punting the blond elf in the stomach and another two working together to restrain Riku. The teen screamed, letting the sound bubble out of his throat until he felt tears. "Leave him alone!" he roared, groaning as a rotten fist slammed him straight in the mouth out of nowhere.

The hilt of a sword slammed between the teen's shoulder blades, sending him to his knees in the white dirt. Bindings whipped themselves around his hands like snakes; a gag pulled solidly between his lips and ceased the slowly stemming blood that dripped from his lower lip.

The captain seemed pleased, kicking Sora's body once more between the ribs for good measure before addressing his warriors. "The small one is fresh dead, it looks. Won't be any bother to us. Hah, with a bit of inexperience he might even join our ranks."

Riku's stomach twisted. He listened as Morphinia and Richard were forcibly restrained, hot tears he would deny streaming down his cheeks. Memories from not fifteen minutes ago littered the teen's mind, when Silintia had explained the function of resurrection within their warring world.

As Riku understood it, people who passed on in this world moved over to a spirit world. Their souls were reborn at a graveyard, where an ethereal spirit would comfort them and guide them back to the realm of the living. They had to wander the land of the dead on their own, pulled by the magnetic attraction of their body. Once they found their body, they reconnected with it and returned to life fully recovered. There were stipulations, though. If the body was mangled beyond a certain point, and yet the spirit still returned to it, they would rise again as one of the Undead. Also, if they took too long to retrieve their body it would begin to rot, and reanimating it would lead the soul to a similar fate.

That doom was what the captain spoke of, and it made Riku feel sick. Grinding his teeth over the damp linen between his lips, the teen let his eyes slide shut while willing Sora to find his way home. He tried to focus on whatever light was within him, begging it to magnify his young friend's attraction to where he was.

Within him, Riku was sure he could envision a ball of light flowing and pulsating, calling to wherever his pure-hearted friend was. He imagined it growing, tendrils sweeping through the woods to bring Sora home. Moments went by; Riku held his breath.

Nothing happened.

The warriors around him had reverted to some form of guttural chatter, sounding screechy as they babbled and checked the bindings on each captive's hands. Riku dropped his head, letting silver bangs create shadows over his eyes. _Fine,_ he thought, feeling wicked, _if the light won't help me… I know what will._

Opening his soul, Riku let ever dark thought he'd ever conceived rule him. He imagined his past; the betrayals, the lies. With every malevolent intention possible, the silverette called upon the Heartless. He called them for blood. He begged them, deep inside his soul, to drench the white earth below his knees with the disemboweled bodies of every enemy that ever stood before.

He called them to do what they existed to do, and yet, they did not come. The teen reached within himself, followed the dark paths into his mind, and sought the beings. _You claim to be my minions_; he called within, _where are you? Bathe this land!_

The screeching began within his head.

"_Master master.. master cannot ask this of us._"

"Why?" Riku questioned over the cloth in his mouth, unaware he'd whispered out loud. Morphinia glared up at him, a drop of blood running down her cheekbone. The elf was bent over, face in the dirt, with a warrior's foot square in her back. She gnawed on her gag, continually writhing even though it only served to have her smashed further into the dirt.

"_Will not be done. Ordered not to be done. Death is our friend master._"

Confused, Riku sagged. They weren't going to help him. "You're useless," he spit, the words coming out muffled. One of his captors eyed him strangely, before dropping to one knee and wrenching the teen's face up. Skeletal fingers, gray flesh still clinging to them in some places, pulled Riku's gag out.

"Wuts the human says?" it asked, examining him from behind ethereal eyes.

Seeing as actions spoke louder than words, Riku gathered all the spit in his mouth, mixed with the blood from being punched, and sent it flying into the warrior's face. The undead creature leaned back in revulsion, before stuffing Riku's gag back into place and kicking him in the side so that he fell onto the ground. Cheek buried in the white earth, the teen stared hateful daggers at all of the monsters around him.

Not far away Morphinia giggled, earning her own punt to the ribs.

Distastefully, the warrior restraining Richard (who was being overly complacent) addressed the captain. "Why we keep'n them alls? Brats gon' give us a hard time; can't we kill 'em?"

The captain, who had been amusing himself going through Silintia's pockets, looked up. "Don't kill Richard or the Silencer. S'pose the other two can go if you guys really want to… they're not of any use alive."

Richard's lips fell into a hard line. He averted his gaze from Morphinia's widened eyes, instead staring heartily at the foliage above him. The blond elf, from behind her gag, had begun cursing. Occasionally a word slipped out; "Bastard" "Conniving" and "Two-faced" were some of them. The brunet man ran his tongue over his own gag, looking forlorn and stormy.

Riku just sighed, watching deftly as one of the warriors around him brandished a broadsword and held it over him. The teen was just tired. He was tired of everything. Looking up at the dangerous tip only feet above his heart, Riku somewhat gave in.

His cheeks hurt, and he was tired of being alive. Maybe he'd find Sora on the other side and they could finally be alone.

Sourly, he realized Morphinia would probably be there too.

Above him, Riku saw the monster's wrist twitch. He closed his eyes, breathing in deeply. He thought of the earthy smells and the stench of decay; he felt sick from the metallic stench of blood wafting up from his gag.

And then, as if it'd been waiting for just that moment, a blast of white-light overwhelmed the entire clearing. Colossal winds followed, knocking the warrior above Riku off of his feet along with the rest of the scouts. The teen didn't need any more of an invitation. He struggled to his feet, whipping his head so violently towards Sora that his hair slapped his cheeks from the force. Riku was not disappointed. Still gagged and bound, he watched as his young friend's body was pulled off of the ground by a strange force, lifted into the air, and bathed in ethereal light.

Sora looked different though. His skin was ashen, his hair was lackluster. As the boy slowly opened his eyes, he was revealed to have milky irises instead of sweet blue. Riku chewed his linen, watching with objective horror as the white of Sora's skin slowly spread from the roots of his hair all the way to the tips. Struggling with his binds, Riku stumbled over to the boy and looked around. Silintia and the Captain had both been knocked unconscious by the initial blast of Sora's reemergence; Morphinia couldn't seem to get her face out of the dirt, and Richard appeared to have been knocked over and covered by writhing undead bodies.

Colorless orbs fell upon Riku. The teen's lungs stopped, and slowly Sora reached a pallid palm towards his friend. Currents of magic pulsated through the air; Sora's ashen locks wavered as tendrils of white light continued to dance around him. Appendages bobbing, the boy seemed unconcerned with the world around him. With complete and utter fascination, he pressed his hand over Riku's left eye.

"Mph," the silverette cried, recoiling slightly at the boy's cold touch. He still covered Sora's hand with his own, and locked eyes with the boy.

Riku felt warm inside.

Slowly, Sora dropped to the ground. The tendrils of light slowly faded, and left the boy, still pale with white hair, smiling up at his long-time friend. "Riku!" He yelled, ignoring that the older boy was bound and gagged, "I can't believe I died! It was so cool!" The keyblade master threw his lithe arms over Riku's torso, pulling him into a death-gripped hug.

"Sowa-" Riku choked out over his gag, relieved and yet finding a growing panic in his stomach. He'd deal with Sora's appearance later. "untwi mph!"

The boy leaned back, surprised, as if he had just noticed the gag in Riku's mouth. Sora dropped his head to the side, smiled, and laced both of his small hands over Riku's cheeks. Pulling lightly, the bit of bloody cloth was finally dispelled from the silverette's mouth. "Oh, god," Riku breathed, wagging his lower jaw around and finding it ached fiercely. "Thank you. Quick," the teen whirled around and presented his bound hands, "Untie me."

Sora did as told, pale fingers working the knot over until it came loose and Riku's bounds fell to the ground. "Riku," started the boy, "What happened?"

It appeared that Sora had finally noticed the carnage all around. The boy rushed over to Morphinia, who had yet to dislodge her face from the ground, and gently pulled the elf up into a kneeling position. Nimble fingers eased out the woman's gag; the blond immediately hawked a large amount of spit into the dirt to her left and glared at Sora. "Way to take forever," she started, shambling up to her feet and presenting the boy with her bound wrists.

While Sora busied himself with freeing Morphinia, Riku tended to the fallen mage at his feet. The teen traced the still bleeding wound on the elf's neck, grimacing, before ripping a small portion of his cloak off and wrapping it around. The group had no healing potions now; they'd have to go back to conventional healing.

"DON'T HELP THAT TRAITOR!"

Riku lurched, jarring Silintia considerably as he turned and saw Morphinia physically restraining Sora from Richard. "Morphiniaaaa," Sora cried, pulling against the woman, "He's my friend…"

"Oh no he isn't." The elf pulled Sora away and set him behind her. She toed through the continually writhing masses of undead, which seemed to be having adverse reactions to Sora's rebirthing explosion, and stopped dead in front of the human. Wrenching him off of the ground, the elf pulled Richard across the clearing and deposited him sharply on the ground next to the unconscious Silintia. "Talk."

Richard blinked up at the glowering woman, working his lips over his gag pointedly. Morphinia didn't hesitate to smash her open palm across the man's face. "Why did the Orcs know you're name!?" she demanded, voice going shrill. "You're working for them, aren't you?"

"Morph…" Sora started, stepping in and grabbing her hand, "He's gagged."

The elf grinned sardonically. "I know."

Riku finished tending to Silintia's neck and joined the trio, taking his time to stop by Richard's side and pull the bit of linen out of his mouth. The man worked his jaw, chocolate eyes regarding Morphinia hatefully. Ever the pessimist, the teen left Richard's hands bound. "You can't deny they knew you by name, man," he muttered, moving away to join Sora. "And they sort of didn't intend to kill you."

Scoffing, Morphinia kicked a scuff of white dirt at the man. "_I_ do," she emphasized, baring her teeth in a slightly animalistic nature.

Richard worked his mouth for a moment before finally rolling his eyes up to Morphinia's face. "I'm not working with the _Horde_. Never would I sink that low." He paused, running his tongue over a welt on his lip, "Don't know why they knew my name. I've been a prisoner there for.. god, weeks. They nabbed me as an _official envoy to the PRINCE_. Knowing my name is not a huge stretch of the imagination."

"Your logic is DENIED!" the elf cried, slapping him again.

"Morphinia!" Sora cried, rushing forward as if to stop the woman after she'd already hit the man. "Listen to me, I don't know what happened when I was dead, but I know Richard is a good guy!"

The blonde shrugged him off. "What could possibly make you so sure? I know he's hiding something. I can see it in his beady little eyes."

Richard looked offended at that. "My eyes are not-" he started, only to be cut off by Sora.

"The same way I knew you weren't evil, or that Silintia didn't hate me. It's in my heart. I trust what I see in him… He's good, like you and Sil and Riku."

Aforementioned silverette choked on his spit and spent a good minute coughing uncontrollably. Sora stared blankly, waiting for his friend to sober, before muttering, "Can we please attempt to be serious here?"

"Seriousness is the name of the game," Morphinia growled, "and I _seriously_ do not trust this guy. You didn't see the way they looked at him, Sora!"

Richard scoffed. "Neither did you! If I recall, your face was still one with the ground."

"Shut up!" Morphinia made to hit the brunet again, only to be stopped cold by Silintia's groggy voice.

"You guys are like children," she coughed, pulling herself up into a sitting position. Morphinia was at the mage's side in a heartbeat, gingerly easing her to her feet. "By your logic I'm a traitor too, Morph. And, if I think about it, I am."

Morphinia pushed out her lower lip, fastening the bit of black cloth around her friend's pale neck. "It doesn't count. You're famous."

Dropping his head dramatically, Richard sighed. "_I'm_ an official envoy of the Prince."

Silintia absently batted at Morphinia's worrying fingers, tightening the strip of Riku's coat on her own. She inclined her head to the teen, somehow aware that he had been to one to tend to her. "You can't deny it, no matter how much you want to hate him. He's wearing the official colors of the human courts. He's skilled. The fact that the Queen took him prisoner – and that wasn't some hoax, _we saved him_ – would have been the talk of the Undead. He'd be more famous than I ever was."

Shrugging away from her magical friend, the blonde elf crossed her arms over her chest and muttered, "Your logic is denied."

"Stop being a kid."

Morphinia looked somewhat angry, but spoke no more. To express her emotions, the axe-wielder wandered over to the still-writhing undead captain and smashed her metal boot into his face. "They sure are being affected more than usual."

"I was about to ask why all the monsters were freaking out," Sora said, looking up expectantly. Riku was standing beside the boy, pulling awkwardly at his friend's new white hair in interest. The teen drew one of his own locks out and compared their color, blinking when he realized Sora's hair had probably turned to a shade much lighter than his own. Perturbed, the younger boy slid his head away from Riku's probing hands and added, "And while we're having explanation time, what's up with my hair?"

Out of everyone to answer, it was surprisingly Richard. The chocolate-eyed man, who had at some point struggled to his feet even with his bound hands, worked his shoulders back and forth and spoke over the groan of his armor. "You happened to them. Undead creatures are naturally beings of darkness, and when a pure soul is reborn, the explosion of, if you will, 'light' energy, harms them. I've never quite seen it on this scale, though. Either way, it doesn't affect natural humans because we're not evil creatures," Morphinia scoffed in the background, and Richard sent her a hard stare. "Your hair and skin and eyes, and basically everything is white because death drains you of your color. You'll return to a normal pigmentation after a while."

Pulling his lip into his mouth and chewing it, Sora asked, "Can I speed it up? I feel weird."

"Well," Richard looked between Riku and Sora, "They say human touch reminds the body it's alive."

Zoning in on the strand of hair Riku had been messing with, the teen found it had already grown slightly darker than the rest. A somewhat evil grin slithered onto his face, and before Sora could protest, Riku was weaving his hands deeply into the boy's scalp.

Sora went beet red.

* * *

The group left the Dead Scar in favor of traveling through the thick woods that surrounded it. Navigating through the misty trees was tough, but it beat another run-in with the Undead. Sora followed awkwardly behind Morphinia, skin still flushed from being palmed back to life by his over-zealous best friend. The keyblade master had indeed gained color though; his tan was almost restored to its former glory and his hair was a soft sort of milky-brown. Sora went even redder at the memory of Riku sliding his hand down his neck, and teasing the hem of his shirt. That had been about the time the younger of the two had jolted away and demanded they continue their journey. Silintia and Richard (who Silintia had forced Morphinia to unbind) decided on their little expedition into the trees; the mage led the group with Richard following closely, Morphinia behind him, and Sora and Riku holding up the rear.

The woods were breathtaking. As they traveled a sea green haze began to permeate the air; small pinpoints of light blinking in the foliage and giant roots reaching from the soft ground. Spider webs tangled amongst the treetops, giant flashes of unseen creatures haunted each member of the group's peripherals. Though it was somewhat creepy, Sora found it serene. Purple-tinted air floated along currents around the travelers; the musky smell of mossed-over trees and soil was pleasant, while the chatter of unseen birds and rustle of beasts completed a woodsy feel.

As they moved along, something cold and wiggling suddenly gripped the back of Sora's neck and held it. The boy screeched, lurching forward while grabbing at whatever it was in shock. To his surprise, his hand slid over Riku's. "Riku!" the brunet yelled, pulling his hand away and looking over his shoulder in exasperation.

"What?" the silverette replied, looking coy. "I missed a spot."

Up ahead Sora could head Morphinia laughing, and he growled at it. "Hands to yourself."

The rest of the walk was quiet, with the group navigating over massive fallen trees and through confusing underbrush, and at one point coming across a wounded spider five times bigger than Sora. The boy had gapped, screamed, and skirted away to hide behind Riku. The beast's whimpering soon brought him out again, and Sora's ever-empathetic nature took hold. He made the group wait patiently by the dying creature while rubbing hesitant circles on its side and waiting for it to pass. When it did, the brunet let the hot tears rolling down his face be thumbed away by his best friend, who made a point of popping his finger into his mouth afterwards and smiling over it. Sora continued to cry, albeit quietly, as the group continued on.

By the time the boy's face was dry again they had stopped to make camp. Fallen trees, rotting and moss-covered, surrounded the group in a semi-circle. A small pile of wood served as a fire, which Silintia had lit with a quick flick of the palm.

"All right," started the mage, taking authority. "Richard, Morphinia. One of you check around the area set traps, the other needs to find us some meat. I haven't eaten in forever, and Sora's stomach growling is hurting my ears." Said brunet gripped his middle in embarrassment; as if on cue it grumbled. "Riku, Sora; go find drinking water. I can't conjure anything tonight. Too weak."

"You want us to just go find some?" Riku asked, eyes going low in disbelief. Sora nodded by his side, somewhat ashamed of their apparent lack of survival skill.

Silintia stared for a moment. Behind her, Morphinia gave a quick giggle before disappearing into the trees with her axes cocked. Richard had also already slipped away, moving silently into the greenery without a word. The two boys were left alone with the elfin mage, who dabbed at the sweat on her brow and shifted her soiled white robes. "If you listen you should be able to hear the water running," she said, lowering herself shakily to the ground. "I would guide you, but my strength relies on magic and I am very, very low."

Concerned, Sora started towards the woman but was waved off. "I think it was to the left. Just… go in that direction. There is a long river running through these parts; if you'll just use your empty vials we'd be good."

Riku nodded, pulling a still somewhat fluttery Sora with him into the trees. It wasn't long before their makeshift camp disappeared from sight, and the two were left alone with the sounds of the forest. It was dark night now, but the trees had an ambient emerald haze keeping them lit. The boys moved through the closely knit trees, stepped over tree-trunks and large rocks. "Riku…" Sora started after a while, realizing he was still being pulled along by the older teen.

Almost immediately the silverette dropped Sora's wrist. The younger of the two stepped back unconsciously, alarmed by the shadows that had at some point set over his friend's face. In the background they could hear water running softly; small animals rustled around them, and the occasional bird called out for a mate. "Are you okay?" he asked uncertainly, biting his tongue.

"Sora…" the older of the two started, dropping his head back so that it was lit by the green air around them. Strands of silver hair slid over his shoulders, and Riku's eyes seemed to match the world around them. Sora sucked in a hard breath, and held it deep within his stomach. "This is the first time we've been alone."

The brunet gulped.

Stepping forward, Riku reached his arms out towards his friend. Sora first reaction was to shy away, but he felt bolted into place. The boy had absolutely no idea what was going on; his heart was thumping wildly in his chest, screaming for attention and supplying blood to his cheeks. Memories of Riku rubbing his hands all over him popped up again, from some place unknown. Massaging his scalp, pulling his forearms. As if the memories had come to life, Sora felt hesitant hands grip his elbows. Riku pulled the keyblade master forward, and he stumbled into the taller male's chest rather solidly.

"Riku-" a hand behind Sora's head silenced him, pushing his mouth into the coarse fabric of Riku's shirt.

A moment went by, and Sora felt a lump in his throat. "I'm sorry," Riku muttered, voice vibrating against the boy's scalp. "I just keep thinking I'm going to lose you."

Sora relaxed, realizing Riku's plight. This emotional side of his best friend was rare, but deep down the younger of the two knew that he was special to the Riku, and very important. He could imagine, if he'd witnessed Riku die, he'd have very similar reactions. Sora wound his fingers around the silverette's waist, hands splayed over the back of his coat. They stood like that for a few moments, Riku reassuring himself that Sora was real, Sora relishing the feeling of being reunited, with the haze of green and shimmering blots of air surrounding them in a somewhat magical scene.

"Okay," the teen said, stepping back from his young friend and smiling in a sort of embarrassment, "We should probably go get water now."

Nodding mutely, Sora followed behind Riku as they weaved through the woods in the direction of the soothing water flow. Popping out from behind a wall of trees, the two were assaulted with breathtaking images neither had ever imagined.

The river itself was tinted blue-green. Mossy rocks peaked out from its surface, and white water broke around them before traveling down the winding curves of the flow. The banks were fleshed with white sand, luminescent grasses peeking out from the foliage surrounding the ashy ground. The occasional cat-tail weed flourished as well, its tip a soft blue color instead of light brown. Lily-pads floated lazily near the banks; frogs could be heard groaning, but none made themselves visible.

Most strikingly, though, was that the green-tinted air throughout the rest of the forest did not flow here. Instead, from a break in the canopy, white-light, almost luminescent, cascaded down through the air and reflected off of the moving surface of the river. Bits of glowing particles, like small balls of dust, floating along the air currents; some landing in Sora's hair and some touching Riku's nose. "Wow," the younger of the two stated, standing back and taking the whole scene in with awe. Riku wiped at his nose gingerly, hesitantly setting a black boot down on the white sand. The silverette pushed an aqua colored cat-tail out of the way in interest, before dropping down to his knees at the water's edge and reaching into his pockets.

He produced a large vial, and hesitantly nudged a lily-pad out of the way with it. Sora followed Riku's example, stopping near him and setting himself in the sand. The boy briefly considered standing to avoid soiling his clothing, before remembering they were already caked in white sand and blood, as well as multiple rips, from his prolonged stay in the Dead Scar. Sora grimaced, pulling two of his own bottles out of the large pockets at his hips and dipping them into the stream. The water both boys retracted was tinted blue, and glowed slightly. "Is this stuff going to be edible?" Riku wondered aloud, holding his vial up in the air and inspecting it.

The light reflected through it cast a soft blue shadow onto the male's face, and Sora was rather taken with it for a moment. "I guess so," he answered, when it became apparent Riku had been expecting a reply. The older teen gave him an awkward look, before standing rather abruptly and moving away. He plugged the bottle and pocketed it, and Sora immediately did the same. "I mean, Silintia seemed to be familiar with the area."

"…Yeah," Riku said distantly, fingering a blade of luminescent grass that rose to his upper thigh. The silverette eventually pulled the strand from the ground, but to both of their disappointment it immediately lost its glow.

Sora made a face. "This place must be magical. Everything is so beautiful."

Absently his friend nodded, dropping the grass into the dirt and stepping on it, driven by some deep-seeded compulsion to destroy beautiful things. Sora watched, feeling ominous in his chest.

Not long after, they returned to the camp. Richard was reclining in front of the campfire, a soft orange glow lighting his rugged and uncared for features. Silintia sat across from him, nursing her neck with a disgruntled expression. The strip of Riku's coat was discarded to the side, and red inflammation, a sure sign of infection, marred the pearly skin around the faint slice on her neck. "This will need to be looked at once we reach Tranquillin," she said, and at the same moment Riku and Sora crashed rather brashly through the greenery and into the camp.

Silintia looked up, wincing at stretching her neck. "You two took a while," she observed, noticing the way Sora lit up with a calculating eye. The boy slid forward, pulling the two glowing vials of water from his pockets and depositing them at Silintia's feet. He dropped onto the ground next to her, sighing and dropping his head into his palms. The elf didn't ask questions, and Richard barely looked up when Riku sat next to him. The man was attempting to whistle with a blade of grass, and only let the teen next to him draw his attention when he produced his own glowing bottle of water and shook it about.

"That doesn't look healthy," Richard observed, reaching forward and motioning for Riku to hand it to him.

Silintia looked up from uncorking her own bottle. "It really quite is. The glow comes from minerals run off from the upper mines in Silvermoon. The ores there are laced with magic, and it's quite empowering for magic users like myself or Sora. In fact, a mill some ways down the river back towards the Undercity runs a refining operation for the waters and sells them to people. I try to keep some on me… but, they're damn expensive." The mage took a long slug from the vial, coughed, and handed the water to Sora.

Taking a hesitant sip, the boy blanched. "It's bitter," he said, setting the bottle to the side and wincing. Still, he did notice a small change in his heart rate, and his muscles began to feel revived. When he looked across the campfire, he saw Richard handing Riku's vial back to him and wiping his lips, also looking disgusted.

"We have similar potions in Stormwind, but they are sweet like berries, not vile."

Riku emptied his bottle with two gulps, and at the same moment he slammed the empty bottle onto the dirt a crash sounding from behind him. Surprised, the silverette turned to look over his shoulder, along with the rest of the group, just in time to see Morphinia's butt bobbing out from the foliage. The elf shimmied into the clearing, dragging something between the trees with a notable amount of effort. Once having cleared the greenery, she revealed the huge carcass of a headless boar; dragging it along by the hind legs and ignoring the trail of innards it left in the grass. In a show of strength, Morphinia swung the pig around and sent it skidding into the camp.

Blood sprayed over Richard's face, but the human only blinked. He scowled, dragging an ungloved hand down his face and smearing the blood down. "I'd be pissed off, but as long as I get a cut of that, I really just don't care. There are probably worse things on me."

Morphinia's cheek ticked, and before she could stop herself, she said, "Like your face?"

Silence followed that. Thick, immature silence.

And then everyone started laughing.

The group cooked the hog, the smell enticing to the point that Sora almost choked himself trying to gulp his piece all down. After they ate they slept, and when morning came the group, finally rested and fed, set off anew to a place Sora knew only as 'Tranquillin'.

* * *

**Post A/N:** OH MAI GOD.

I really never thought I would finish this. It was hard. It was work. It was still amusing, though. You can tell the parts where I lost focus, but, I'm sorry. This is the best I can do with this chapter. I refuse to look at it anymore.

Pleaseeeeee Review. It's not hard, man. I love reviews so hard. And I'd be thrilled if I got 50 before chapter 10.


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